hells angel
by aiko alima
Summary: an angel is the key to saving the world. but is she really its salvation or its downfall. As Hellboy falls in love with her, he must find out.
1. Default Chapter

I am very excited about this story, I have been thinking about it for sooooo long and I am finally putting it down into words. I hope you all enjoy it, and for anyone who has not read my stuff I should let you know that I love all kinds of feedback, I love flames and comments and complements and all that jazz. Anything you have to say I will listen to and if you think I should change the way im doing something I want you to tell me. That's the only way I can improve is by knowing what you hate and what you love.

thanks

aikoalima

The last thing on his mind had been work. But hell, that was the life he led. You didn't have to be in the mood or ready for what was to come, because it would always come no matter what.

But this particular night Hellboy had REALLY not wanted those red lights to flash or that siren to go off, telling him that another nasty was out there, that he was called out to do the dirty work once again.

But as always he had hauled himself up from his miserable mood and gathered his gear. It had been the usual; Ade had come along, asking questions to the commander about the nature of the beast they were to apprehend. But to his surprise none of them had been answered. They all just gathered in the plain awaiting them in silence with professor broom looking nervous.

"What's wrong dad?" asked hellboy as they took off.

Red knew all his fathers moods, all his twitches and all his depressions, yet through all the years he had never seen his father like this. His brow was wrinkled and his palms sweating and with every opportunity he poured over some papers in a folder that hellboy had never seen before.

Red moved closer to him, thinking perhaps that his father had been to distracted by his thoughts to hear him. "father." He said again.

Professor broom looked up startled and dropped his glasses out of nervousness. "Oh, hellboy." He said, not realizing his son had been standing so close to him.

"Here." said Red as he handed him back his glasses.

Broom took them and again looked over his papers once more before motioning hellboy to sit in the plain seat that was opposite his own.

He looked up, giving hellboy his attention. "Hellboy," he said setting the folder aside, and taking off his glasses. "Do you remember what I told you about the day we found you?" he asked, placing a hand on his son's stone hand.

Hellboy thought fro a moment, his origins had always been a sensitive subject with him, he still know so little about his own past even though his father had told him so much of that day over the years. "Yes." He said finally.

"We are returning there, to the island where you were first discovered." He stopped for a moment and waved Abe over, telling him to join them. "You must know what we are going to face Abe, hellboy," he continued as Abe as well took a seat near by.

"On this island there are still remnants of the machines used to pull you son, out of the hell dimension, now they were not operational after we left the island in the 40s..."

"I though the government had placed that island under surveillance, with guards." Said Hellboy.

"They did, your right, but about a week ago when they were supposed to check in their was no response, the government waited twelve hours, thinking a rain storm might have hit their telecommunications beacon, but after the allotted time they sent in a rescue mission to find out what had happened. They never returned." He said.

"They never heard from them?" asked Abe.

"Their was a communication three days ago just before they were supposed to report back in. the report was cut off before it was finished but the message was clear enough none the less." He stopped as though he didn't want to continue.

"What did it say?" asked hellboy.

"Hell has risen." He said.

"That's all were going off of is a single panicked message." Said hellboy.

"There was satellite surveillance of the island yesterday." Said professor broom handing red a series of photographs. "I know its small, but as you can see it is clear, they have reconstructed the gate, the gate to the hell dimension we found you from. Demons will certainly come from it if we don't stop them." He said.

Hellboy looked at the images in silence, it was clear as his father said, the image of the circular gate was there. Hellboy was mixed with a fear that something more horrible than himself would come out of it and the possibility that he might learn something about his past.

"How long until we get there," asked Abe.

"Is that why we have the army with us?" asked hellboy, pointing to the thirty or so heavily armored men that sat mostly sleeping in various chairs.

"We will get there in sixteen hours, and yes, they are here as reinforcement."

"Ok, then, bring it on." Said hellboy as he stood and peered out the window.

The hours were passed with horrible boredom from Abe, but hellboy had too much on his mind to be bored, he was returning to his home, in a way. To the place he first met his father. And he was returning there to potentially kill demons that were from the same hell he had been from.

"Come on ya big ape, were here." said one of the guys. Tapping him on the shoulder to raise him from his thoughts.

The next hours were spent in silence as hellboy and the team stealthily traversed the island to reach the sight. They didn't want to be detected and hellboy, while the official mission commander, took his lead from the seal OC, this stealth thing wasn't his style and was happy to have someone show him the ropes.

Over the next ridge they spotted it, the circular metal gate, surrounded by guards, more than fifty, all with automatic machine guns.

It was dark, and the area was lit only by the moonlight, which was dim at best.

Hellboy spotted a man who stood in front of the circle, and raised his hands.

"Looks like were just in time for the fire works." He said. "On my command we move in, got it."

He could see the light grow as the man summoned the gate to open, they heard the ancient words being spoken, just as hellboy ordered the surprise attack.

The men in his unit leapt forth, weapons ready. They took out several guards before anyone realized they were even there.

But red went for the man he knew was the leader. Fighting his way past men to reach him. This man, who stood in front of the gate as though no battle was being waged around him seemed determined to reach his goal. Hellboy could not let that happen, he didn't know what their plan was, but it couldn't be good whatever it was. when he finally reached the circle, he could see it was all ready open. His eyes widened as through it he saw darkness, not the lack of light kind of darkness but a brooding evil kind of darkness that had no shape or form, no since of direction, just despair and hatred.

He turned again to the man, slamming him against the stone wall with his fist, severing his connection with the portal. "what are you trying to bring back," he yelled over the noise as he held the man to the wall. But the man only laughed, as though he knew something sinister that hellboy did not. "whatever it is, I will kill it, I will destroy it, you will not bring evil into this world." He yelled. But the man only laughed more.

Hellboy then felt something hit him against the back, sending him down to the ground. Over the noise and the battle, he lost his grip on his foe and instead felt something new strike at him. He rolled over the ground to see what had hit him, ready for anything. He jumped to his feet and standing before him was a creature, a demon of black skin. He couldn't make out the features of the beast of how large it was but he lunged at it not caring how big or nasty it was. all he thought of was the evil in that mans eyes. this demon would do terrible things he was sure of it.

The demon struck out with a long arm and slammed Hellboy into the wall again. He struggled to remain on his feet but wiped blood from his mouth and looked at it.

"you son of a...now im getting mad." He said under his breath as he pulled out his gun.

The beast seemed to pay him no mind as it ran away from him, heading towards the woods to the right.

"oh, no you don't." he said as he ran after it, taking aim and firing two shots in its direction.

The creature dodged the shots and ran faster towards the woods.

"shit, this thing is fast" he said. As it reached the edge of the trees.

He ran faster after it but knew that his only chance at catching it was to shoot it, he would never catch up to it at this pace.

he fired another two rounds and the creature jumped avoiding them. It landed in the tree branches, nimbly jumping from tree to tree.

Hellboy ran through the forest tracking it and aiming his gun in every direction the creature leapt from, knowing his reflexes would not be quick enough to land a shot.

But in the distance he heard something that gave him hope, the sound of the ocean. That might slow it down just enough to give him a chance, and all he needed was one shot. He ran as fast as he could, pumping his legs through the soggy forest floor after the creature who was leaping away from him through the tree canopy. Hellboy loaded more rounds into his gun, wanting it to be full when the time came.

He could see just beyond the trees, a clearing where he knew the ocean would be. And then a moment later he saw the creature stop on the last branch. He knew it had reached the ocean.

It had reached a two hundred foot drop from a cliff face where the forest abruptly ended and the ocean stretched out as far as the eye could see.

Hellboy stopped and took aim when the beast stopped and fired a shot, knowing it would hit.

But just as he fired, the creature spread gigantic wings and took flight over the rocky shore. Taking off into the night air, just missing the bullet that struck the bark of the tree where it had been.

"Damn it, no." he yelled as he ran up and took aim again at the demon in flight. He looked down the sight of the gun with determination. "You're not getting away." He said. And fired three shots.

The beast screamed as two of the rounds hit it. The creature let out an inhuman screech that rattled hellboys brain and made his ears feel like they were going to explode. He fell to his knees, clutching his ears as the creature screamed. Eh yelled out in agony, watching the flying thing try desperately to make it back to the trees so it wouldn't fall to the water beaten rocks below.

But hellboy could see it wouldn't make it. The trees were to high, and the creature seemed to loose more and more altitude with every moment.

It stopped screeching abruptly when it glided into the cliff wall, just below the edge, clinging to the grass, trying to pull itself up onto the ground surface.

Hellboy was ten feet from it, watching as it dug into the grass, it was loosing its grip slowly.

Hellboy took his hands from his ears and stared at it.

"P-please, please help me..."

A shocked expression came over his face, had he heard right? Were his ears fooling him? Did that demon just plead for its life?

A piece of rock brushed by its face and hellboy saw the black skin rub off. It was dirt, not just dirt, it was mud, caked on mud, but underneath he saw the skin of a human, milky white with red blood from a cut.

He could see into its eyes, blue as the sky on a rainy day. They were pain filled and woozy.

His senses returned to him, and the shock faded away and he leapt forward to grasp the human hands that were digging into the grass and dirt. But it was a moment to late. As the hand slipped through his grasp. He watched as in slow motion, her eyes closed and her limp body fell.

Would she make it into the water? Oh, god what if she hit the rocks.

Hellboy didn't think twice about it once he had thought up the idea, and with that he dove head first off the cliff after her.


	2. Take me to her,

The icy air hit his face as he stretched out his arms and fell down towards the water below. Her was moving fast and knew he would catch up with the girl before she hit the water. This is what he was counting on and when, a few moments later he caught up to her. Hellboy slammed his body into her side, pushing both her and himself out further away from the rock and the edge of the cliff.

They hit the water a moment later just narrowly missing a rock that protruded from the cliffs edge. He felt pain in his head but shrugged it off.

The water churned with fury as the waves beat against the side of the cliff and hell boy found himself not knowing which way the surface of the water was. He let out some air from his lungs and followed the bubbles up to the surface, breathing in a gulp of air.

He turned around, searching the waves for any sign of the girl. There was none.

Then taking a deep breath hellboy dove back down again. Searching through the water for her.

The water was dark and the only light he saw was the moonlight reflecting off the cliff rocks. Then to the right, he saw her. Her body scraping against the rocks with every wave. Through the water as he swam to her, he finally saw what she truly looked like, the mud was washed away by the tides and he saw her pale skin, glowing, which covered her from head to toe. She was bare foot, and wore what he could only describe as rags, which covered little of her body. She was thin and sickly, with long hair that in the darkness and with all the mud that still remained he could not tell the color of. By all accounts she was fully human.

Except for one very noticeable thing. Her wings.

She had huge white feather wings, which protruded from her shoulder blades like that of a bird. Hellboy could see blood coming from one of the wings and one of her arms and he knew it was from his bullets.

Reaching her finally, Hellboy took hold of her and swam to the surface.

He swam backwards towards the shore carrying her unconscious body with him.

She couldn't be a demon, as he had earlier assessed, but the thought that she was what she appeared to be was preposterous. She couldn't be....an angel.

But as his feet touched land and he carried her to shore these thoughts faded from his mind. He lay her down on the sandy ground and knelt beside her. listening for the sounds of breath. He couldn't hear anything.

She couldn't be dead. He again knelt down, this time pressing his ear to their chest to hear if her heart was beating. It was, loud and strong.

She must have water in her lungs he thought. And turned her over to her side, immediately she began coughing and gagging, as water came gushing from her mouth.

She gasped for air.

"easy, you're alright." He said. As he knelt closer to her.

she wasn't listening to him. She couldn't hear him it seemed. As she lay there and coughed. She drew her knees up to her chest gasping and coughing.

She didn't turn over and hellboy could tell after a minute that she wasn't going to. She began to shiver, her wings folding themselves over her body. It was such a magical and unbelievable thing to watch that for a moment hellboy forgot how cold it was or even how tired her has from swimming.

He was soaked, and she was soaked, and so after about five minutes when she hadn't moved and was only shivering he turned her over, finding that either she had fallen asleep or was unconscious again.

A moment later Hellboy felt exhausted, he rubbed his head,....but then nothing...he was unconscious.

"Hellboy." Said a familiar, voice, "red, can you hear me?" he said again.

"wha...who." Red opened his eyes slowly. Seeing the image in front of him go from fuzzy to clear after a moment.

"its me Hellboy, its your father." He said with a smile. "how are you feeling."

"oh, just peachy." He said sitting up and rubbing his head.

"what happened," he said looking around. "where am i."

"your in the paranormal research medical facility." Said Broom.

"how did I get here so fast." He asked.

"you have been unconscious for two days, do you remember what happened." Said Broom.

"yeah, I was chasing this demon, only it wasn't a demon it was a....an..."

"an angel." Said Abe who was reading a book over in the corner.

"angels:" he read from the book. "very little is actually known about angels as they are so illusive and many believe they are entirely myth however it is theorized that they are creatures that had once been humans who have died and are now messengers of god." He read. "angels carry with them messages of hope and love to humans and often fight off demons who would otherwise consume the souls of the innocent. They are very fast moving and can speak the language of god, they also have modified vocal cords so they can produce the complex tones needed for angelic speech. They can also produce damaging tones when provoked or frightened which can cause headaches and vomiting." Abe paused from reading allowed seeming to skim the rest. "the book goes on to describe Lucifer and the laws of god, it also has the weapons of angels...but nothing very useful given our circumstance." He concluded.

"does it say how one communicates with an angel, or anything about their temperament, what do they eat? What kind of environment do they live in?" asked broom, turning to Abe.

"no, nothing like that," responded Abe.

"why do you need to know that? is she here? where is she?" said Hellboy.

"easy, you should be careful you got a nasty bump on the head, but yes she's here son." He looked at Abe and then back at hellboy. "she's been rather difficult, we had to move her to the holding cells for sewer based demons, because she kept on breaking through all the other facilities. That headache she gave you with her screams nearly killed one of our officers when he tried to sedate her." Said Broom, looking sad.

Hellboy knew the cells designed for sewer demons were not a nice place to be, they had sound proof titanium walls and were dreadfully dark, they were cold and had a constant draft.

"let me try and talk to her."

"she spoke to you?" asked Broom with surprise.

"briefly." He said, Getting up and pulling his black shirt on. "take me to her."

Hi, i am so greatful to epalladino, for the review. i hope this chapter is better,in grammer, puncuation, and spelling. i tried really hard to make it perfect, but just in case i missed some things just know with every chapter i will be getting better.

aikoalima


	3. a new beginning

"Do you have any information about where she came from? Why she was brought through the tunnel?" Asked Hellboy as he, Abe, and professor Broom made their way to the holding cell. "There has to be some kind of explanation, it doesn't make any since, why would an angel be in a hell dimension."

"Maybe she isn't really an angel at all, perhaps is a shape shifter, and is only pretending to be an angel." Said professor Broom.

"Or perhaps that wasn't a hell dimension at all. Maybe the portal opened to heaven, or something similar." Added Abe.

"I don't think that is the case. I saw that portal, I felt the evil there, it may not have been a hell dimension, but whatever it was, it wasn't a place Id wanna be for to long." Said Hellboy.

"Then what about professor Brooms theory, that she isn't an angel at all." Said Abe, "I think we should consider it a real possibility and sedate her for a medical examination just to make certain."

"Haven't you tried that already?" asked Hellboy.

"Well we haven't tried shooting her with a tranquilizer yet." Said Abe.

Hellboy stopped walking and looked seriously at them both. "Absolutely not."

"Why not, it would be very simple, if you hadn't awakened when you did we probably would have done it already." Said Abe.

But Hellboy wasn't flinching from his position. "No way are you going to shoot her with a rifle full of sedatives like some out of control animal." He said with determination. "I think she has been shot at quite enough."

"I agree son," said Professor Broom. "We will first see if you can reach her, get her to cooperate, but if that doesn't work. Hellboy her wounds must be treated, regardless of weather she is a demon or not and should this tactic fail I believe we will have no other option."

Hellboy looked as though he was going to protest but then shrugged his shoulders and reluctantly nodded in agreement. The others may not have sensed it but he was racked with guilt over shooting her, over not seeing what she really was.

In retrospect it had all been so clear, the only time she had attacked him was after he had attacked her first, she had only been defending herself. A strategy not many demons undertook for long. He should have seen what she was from the start. He knew in his heart that the demon pretending theory wasn't true and he would try and get her to understand, get her to speak with him.

But if he couldn't, it would take a hell of a lot more than a few influential words for him to allow them to frighten and shoot at her again.

He had been lost in his thoughts when they reached the first series of guards, both of whom nodded to professor Broom and opened the door using key cards.

They all walked into a long chamber lined with ten men with rifles. At the end of the hallway was a glass door, which professor Broom stood in front of and spoke his name to.

"Professor Broom." He stated.

A thin metal rod dropped slowly down and professor broom opened his eyes wide. Then after scanning them, the object retreated back into the ceiling.

"Welcome, professor Broom." Said a computer voice.

The glass doors slid open and Hellboy stepped through them.

"We will be in the observation deck." Said Abe.

Hellboy nodded and then faced the two titanium doors in front of him.

The glass doors slid shut behind him and he heard the hiss of the locks opening in front.

They slid open revealing a large round metal cell, dark and cold.

Hellboy stepped into the cell and the doors behind him closed.

He couldn't see much in front of him but could see just how tall the room was.

"Hello?" Hellboy moved casually further into the room straining with his eyes to find her.

"We are going to give you some light," said Abe over the loudspeaker.

Off in the upper left hand corner there was a glass observation deck with Abe, Broom, and several other men in white coats.

The room suddenly lit as a dozen or so bulbs mounted into the walls were illuminated.

There she was. Huddled in a corner, her right wing covering her body and the left one drooping pitifully on the ground with the red stains of blood soaking through the feathers.

"Hey." Said Hellboy, crouching on the ground so as to be eye level with her.

Her head turned from being buried in her knees and they stared at one another.

She was still dirty and covered with cuts. She had mud and sand all over. Her face had a big smudge of dirt covering it and lines of evaporated tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hair was mangled and caked with mud and sand and leaves.

Hellboy made no attempt to approach her but kept his eyes fixed on hers. "So what's your name?" he said,

She did not respond.

"My name is Hellboy, sounds kinda funny but it suits me as you can see." She still did not respond. "Some call me HB, or Red, but it makes not difference to me."

Still she was silent and Red decided to just talk and not wait for a response. "You may remember me from the forest. Yeah, sorry about that, I thought you were a demon." He scratched his head and then slumped down, so he could just sit instead of crouch. "But I know now that you're not a demon."

Well, duh, she's not a demon. He thought to himself. This wasn't going very well and while he knew she was scared and he had to build up some trust first negotiation wasn't his strong suit.

"Look, uh, we can get you whatever you need. Clothes, food, your wing looks pretty banged up, maybe we could get someone in her to..."

"Why was I freed?" she asked, lifting her head slightly, her voice was small and barely audible.

A mixture of excitement and confusion filled Hellboy's head and he inched a tiny bit forward. "We don't know." He said.

"You didn't pull me out of hell?" she asked.

Shock was all he could express for a moment as he tried to compute what she was asking. "No, we were there to prevent someone from letting a demon into the world." He said, "They are the ones who pulled you out."

"Then I am on earth?" she asked.

"Yes, you are on earth. You are safe here, we won't harm you." he said. He tried to fight back the question but he had to know. "Why were you in hell?"

"I defied the angels law." She said. Moving her hand to touch her injured wing.

Hellboy could see she was not interested in talking about why she was there.

"What year is it.?"

"It is 2004." Responded Hellboy.

"Then I have been in hell for twenty nine years." She said.

This girl looked like she could be no more than twenty, it was astonishing for him to imagine what it must have been like to be in hell for so long.

"I promise we wont hurt you but we need to give you medical treatment. Would you let us do that? Then you wont have to stay in here, you can go any place you like."

She nodded. And a moment later a team of medical personnel opened the door.

Hellboy stood up and smiled. "I guess I will see you when you're done. I'm sure you will be please to meet the rest of us." He said, walking out the room. Leaving her to the staff.

"Red." She yelled to him.

He turned around. "My name is Angela Birdeata Shloble." She called to him before the door closed.

That night Red thought about what she had said, he couldn't believe she would do anything to deserve hell. He knew what hell was; it was dark, painful, and dangerous. She didn't belong there. She couldn't belong there. He drifted off to sleep, feeling a terrible sense of injustice.

"Good morning Hellboy." Said Abe as Hellboy walked into the library.

"Hi." Any news from the docs?" he said looking around at Broom. "Will she be alright."

"Yes, fine, fine, she will be as good as new. But I do have some interesting information for you this morning." Said Professor Broom.

"I have found the records of a Mrs. Angela Birdeata Shloble," said Broom.

He took a file from his desk and Hellboy took a seat in the lounge chair.

"Her maiden name was Angela Birdeata McPerren, her parents Mark and Katherine McPherren came to America from Scotland, apparently pregnant with Angela. She was born three months after her parent's arrival on December the second 1921 just outside of Colorado. She studied Anthropology and Philosophy at the university of Colorado. (Very unusual for a woman at the time I may add) there she met Andy Shloble, a law major whom she married in the spring of 1940 at the age of 19. Andy was shipped off to Germany in 1943 towards the end of WW2. Three months later he was captured by the Germans and placed in a concentration camp where he was murdered two months later. Angela was pregnant with their first child but went to Germany to retrieve his body. While there she went into labor and later in the hospital, three months after giving birth to their daughter (Katharine) died, of complications due to labor in the beginning of 1944." Broom finished reading and looked up from his papers.

"Its impossible." said Hellboy. "This must be the wrong person. She can't be that old, how could she have died. She's here now." He said, bewildered by the information.

"It's the truth." Said Broom. "Here is a picture of her and her husband, on their wedding day I believe." He said, handing Hellboy the black and white photo.

A man in his mid twenties and woman of a younger age smiling at one another, stood next to Niagara falls, her dress was a lovely white gown with short sleeves and a long veil that trailed a ways down her back. She held the man with one hand and with the other held her veil up over her head to keep the moisture from the falls off her beautifully braided hair as the pair half smiled half laughed with one another.

The woman was unmistakably Angela. She was so beautiful. The smile on her face was that of a young woman who had everything she would ever want right they're with her. Hellboy smiled at the sight of it, touched by the innocence of the image and for a moment he could imagine being the photographer of the picturesque scene.

But then his smile faded remembering that just four years later they both would be dead.

"How is this possible?" Asked Hellboy, realizing that this was her story, this was the life she had lived.....when she was alive.

"Isn't it obvious," said Abe from his huge tank. "Add up what we know, she was born in 1920, died in 1944 and must have become an angel when she died. She was an angel for twenty years and then somehow she ended up in that hell dimension until two days ago when she was pulled out."

"I don't believe in angels Abe." Said Hellboy. "Its just to out there."

"But you believe in demons, nastys, and all the creatures brought forth from hell? That doesn't make much since to me Red." Responded Abe.

"Hay!...I am one of those creatures from hell." He said in a low voice. "Plus I've fought demons, I've killed demons. I've never seen evidence of angels."

"That's not true, you have seen absolute proof that angels exist Hellboy." Said Broom,

"When? Where? In all the years I have been in the supernatural business I cant recall one single time when angels and I have crossed paths." Said Hellboy with exasperation.

"There is an angel in the medical lab right now. You fought an angel two days ago. They may be mysterious and reclusive creatures but so are you to the general public. No my boy, just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean they aren't out there." Said Broom.

At his words Hellboy fell silent. His father was rarely wrong and he knew it was best to trust his word as truth.

"Hey, everybody, what did I miss while I was away, this place is more crowded than grand central."

"Mayers!" yelled Hellboy. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked, happy to get his mind off the present topic.

"I was on vacation. You knew that." he said as he came down the stairs and greeted them.

"Oh, that's right, well you have missed a lot." Said Hellboy.

"I'm sure I will have plenty of time to..."

"Sir, your needed in the medical lab." A man wearing a long white medical coat stood at the top of he stairs looking at Professor Broom.

"Ah, yes, I will be there right away." Said Broom.

Broom, Hellboy, and Myers together walked the short distance to the med lab where agent manning was just outside waiting for them.

"Professor Broom." He said happily and walked up to shake his hand. But looked wearily at Hellboy.

"Professor, this is an astonishing discovery your team has made, I commend you." he said, "I have just spoken with Dr. Elliot and he tells me our new resident.... uh, member will be in perfect health within a month." He said. His tone carried with it something Hellboy did not like, as though he were buttering them up for bad news.

"New member? I had no idea anyone had even presented Mrs. Shloble with the option of staying here with us." Said Broom with surprise and a questioning gaze.

Agent Mannings smile faded as he continued. "Well, no one has officially, but I was hoping you might ask Hellboy to pass along the message to her that she is more than welcome to stay here, and that we insist she does."

"Why don't you ask him yourself Agent Manning, he is right here after all." Said Broom.

Agent manning looked as though he had just been asked to eat worms with the scowl that was on his face as he turned to Hellboy.

"Hellboy." He said with distain. "I need to ask you a favor." He said.

Hellboy was very much enjoying Agent Manning's state of need; he must want something very bad if he was willing to come to Hellboy for help.

"I want you to ask Mrs. shoble to stay here with us." He said.

Hellboy was suspicious of Agent Manning's request. If that was all he wanted he could have done it himself. Hellboy knew that manning must have something up his sleeve.

"What's the catch manning." He asked.

"Theirs no catch."

"Don't try that with me, you would never come crawling to me just to ask some girl to join our little tea party." He said

Manning sighed. "Now, understand I am only the messenger here, I had nothing to do with the decision. If it were up to me..."

"Spill it Manning what is it exactly you want from me."

"She has to stay." He said,

"What do you mean."

"I mean...if she tries to leave we will use force to keep her here, at least for a while. She had to stay here Hellboy, she isn't allowed to leave." He finally blurted out.

"WHAT!!" yelled Hellboy.

"I promise she will have full privileges and get her own room, and well, she can start to go outside in a little while as long as she has an escort." Said Manning, trying to make the situation seem all right.

"So she can do whatever she wants as long as she stays in her cage to do it!!" he yelled.

Hellboy was furious and was flailing his arms wildly as he towered over Agent Manning who was trying his best to stay composed.

"I'm sorry Hellboy but this is the way it is going to be, there is nothing either of us can do about it now."

"And what if she does try to leave. Will you kill her before you let her taste freedom? Is that how its going to be. A lock on every door, sending her back into the cell again."

"Listen it isn't going to be like that!!" yelled Manning.

"WELL TELL ME THEN manning, HOW IS IT GOING TO BE, BECAUSE RIGHT ABOUT NOW ALL YOU HAVE DESCRIBED TO ME IS A FANCY PRISON!!!!" he yelled.

"Nonthes ectiolinde ojg tehelid undomnie!"

Hellboy and Manning stopped and saw her standing there. The words so beautiful they seemed to rush over the two men and put them at peace.

Hellboy and Manning stood there for a moment and looked at her. Her wing was wrapped in a white cloth and her arm was in a sling. She wore a jump suit that seemed at least four times too large for her. And the many cuts that covered her face were covered in salve. All the dirt was gone from her face and she held her hair up on a ponytail. Its long wavy blonde curls draping her shoulders and back.

She walked to stand beside them and when she stopped she folded her wings so neatly against her back that had Hellboy never seen them before he never would have known they were there.

"Its alright Red, Mr. Manning, i'm grateful to have a place to go. I will stay as long as I can." She said.

I dint really know whre to end this chapter so I will just end it her because I am very tired and need to rest.

aikoalima


	4. the garden

"Angela, listen you don't have to put up with this, what they are saying is nothing more than a gilded cage. Do you understand? You cant decide to go out and eat or get a cup of coffee, or even step outside for a breath of fresh air, and I should know, the company in this place is dismal at best." Said Red as he motioned over to Agent Manning.

"I appreciate your candor with me Red, but...i'm just happy to be anywhere right now that isn't crawling with demons and hells terrors."

"Hah, you picked the wrong place here then." Said Manning in a condescending voice as he looked at Hellboy. A moment later however he realized what he was saying and then added. "But, um I assure you that your cooperation in this matter will be well worth it. Just come with me and we will discuss your living arrangements, and what not."

All of them walked together into the meeting room where a long table with some papers sitting on them lay. Agent manning picked them up and began reading them aloud to Angela.

"This says you will have your own quarters in the live in area of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, that's the wing where Hellboy is assigned so be careful." He said.

Hellboy gave him a frown before Manning continued. "You will receive food, clothing, and whatever else you may request. You will be allowed free access to all the interiors of the BPRD that your security card has clearance for. You will remain inside the walls of the BPRD, until such a time as we see that you may leave, in addition to staying here you will be required to undergo testing so that we may better determine your abilities, weaknesses, strengths and so forth, until such a time as we can place you into the proper position here at the BPRD." Said Agent Manning.

"Now hold on, you mean to tell me that not only are you keeping her here but you're using her as a guinea pig as well. No way this is..." Hellboy was becoming aggressively agitated.

Angela placed a hand on his arm. "Red, please, I am alright with these arrangements." She said in a soft voice.

Hellboy calmed himself as Manning handed her the security card, a map of the BPRD, and the number to her room.

"You will be given a couple of days to settle in before testing begins, is their anything you need before you go."

"Yes," said Angela as she took the items he handed her. "Would you look up my daughter, tell me if she is still alive, does she have any children, a husband, where she lives. Please anything you can find out," she said.

Agent Manning nodded. "Of course what is her name?"

"Katharine Amelia Shloble. Born in 1943, in Berlin, Germany. But her Grandparents Katherine and Mark Thompson came and took her to America, that's where she was raised. Please anything you can find out about her life in the last 29 years." She said. It sounded as though she was pleading with Manning.

"I will find out anything I can." He said.

An hour later Angela lay in her new bed in a very plain but large apartment type space. She had a bed room a kitchen a bathroom and even an attaching gym type room that was about as large as a football stadium. This was her favorite feature. She knew they had provided this for her so she could stretch her wings, and fly once they were strong enough. There were large metal poles and spaces where protruding from the walls were square metal platforms where she could land. When she saw this room she knew what her next request would be.

She rushed out the door and into her apartment. Very excited. She swung her door open to the hallway outside and ran straight into someone knocking them both forward.

"Uh, hi." Said Angela as she lay on top of Hellboy who had been standing at her front door.

"Err. Yeah." He moved to the side and they both stood to their feet.

It was at this point that Hellboy noticed just how tall her felt standing next to her. He was already a tall guy. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches he was taller than anyone he had ever met. But she was really short, 5 foot 5 it seemed was the most she could get and that was when she really tried.

"I um, just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood I guess." He said.

Angela noticed a wrapped package in his hand. Hellboy saw her look at it and handed it to her abruptly. "Here, uh, don't open it now it's just, just something for your place here." he said,

They were neighbors; in fact his room was just twenty feet away, right next door.

"I guess they put you so close because they wanted you to have the big room. I gotta door to that room from my place but I never use it, I think I even have a book case in front of the doorway. So you can do whatever you like to it. I don't really care." He said.

With that Hellboy shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

A minute later he lay on his sofa thinking. Dummy, he thought to himself, just standing there like some dope. He had been standing in front of her doorway for five minutes thinking of how he would say hello. He had to get a grip; he had to stop acting like such an idiot. She's married, he thought to himself.

But then he thought again, her husband died 71 years ago. But she also died so maybe she still considered herself married to him. This was all way to confusing.

Hellboy stood up abruptly and kicked the sofa. Cats scrambled everywhere. But Hellboy was determined to do something about how he was feeling. He walked over to the bookcase and picked it up. Moving it over to the other wall. The doorway to the huge room was revealed.

"You can do this just act natural." He said aloud to himself. "Just be yourself." The thought circled around in his head for a moment as he peered at himself in the mirror. He reconsidered and thought that then again maybe he should try and not be so much of himself.

He decided to think on it more and lay back down on the sofa.

It was several hours before he got up the courage again and headed out the door and over to Angela's.

It stood open a crack and Hellboy peeked in but no one was there.

"Hey kid." He called out but no one answered.

Hellboy cautiously made his way through the apartment, her room was much more elaborates than his, the lay out very much like an apartment one would find on seventh avenue.

The walls were white and the place was basically bare except for a television in the living room and a sofa and love seat, which were a rich blue color.

He stuck his head into her bedroom for a moment finding that she wasn't there but also surprised to find beautiful purple sheets with a red duvet over the bed. The bed was rather large, much larger than a king sized mattress most likely fitted to accommodate the length of her wings should she stretch them out in the night.

Hellboy felt a bit intrusive as he stepped in and looked into her bathroom for her and before even making it there all the way did a 180 and left her bedroom immediately.

He heard a noise from the doorway, which adjoined the large gym to her apartment. He opened it and suddenly felt very foolish for not just heading into the gym first thing from his own room.

"Red. "he heard from a female voice as he entered. "Hi." Said Angela.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked.

He looked down and felt a stone walkway beneath his feet. All around the ground covering every inch of the floor was dirt. The only part of the room not covered in dirt was the walkway, which led from Angela's door and rounded in various directions around the room. He looked over at his door and found that the same walkway led from his room as well, and connected to the rest of the path.

Angela smiled at him as he looked at his doorway. "I thought you might want to remove that bookcase you told me about once you see what i'm going to do with this place." She said with a smile.

Hellboy made his way over to where she stood. "What are you going to do?"

Angela placed the last of some seeds that she held in a bag. "Watch and see." She said with a smile.

"Take my hand Red you can help." She said as she took his stone hand in her own and stood next to him.

"Now, watch." She said. Her wings lifted up from being folded against her back and spread out to their full length, they were so big that their tips were even taller than Hellboy.

She breathed in a deep breath. Held it for a moment and closed her eyes. Then opening them again she softly blew out the breath.

Hellboy felt something overtake his boy. A warmth that relaxed his muscles and alerted his senses all at the same time. He felt his heart beat faster and saw a light start from Angela's body, dim at first but as it expanded outward it became brighter and brighter. He looked down at her and saw that her hair and cloths were blowing about her as though a warm breeze was blowing from the ground upwards. He looked down and saw that the wind was blowing him as well, he realized that the light was coming not just from her but from his also. It was so warm and calming. And as it spread out in a circle all around them he saw the dirt beneath their feet spring to life as thousands of tiny stalks of grass sprung up. They as he looked out onto the huge landscape before them he saw that all the dirt had grass. There were plants and bushes all around them as an entire garden was growing before their eyes,

The plants seemed to reach their peek and just when it appeared they were finished growing, trees suddenly sprung up around them. Huge oaks, and willow trees all grew from seeds before their eyes and turned in an instance into massive adult trees with limbs and leaves everywhere.

The light began to fade and return to them both and slowly the wind subsided, the warmth left and the light was gone.

Angela released Hellboys hand and turned to face him with a smile but he was still staring at the garden that was now before him. The beautiful garden with a path running through it, with trees and flowers and grass and bushes.

"H-how did you do this?" he said in astonishment, walking over and feeling the trees as though to make certain they were real.

"Actually red you did most of the work. I thought it would take me at least three days but with you helping me it was easy." She said.

"I don't understand. What did we do?"

"We gave them some life, its like life force. Whatever alive, strong energy you have in you can be transferred from one being to another, angels have just perfected the technique but everyone has the ability."

"I have never done anything like this before." he said walking back to her.

"Well no. Not like this, but if you have ever made someone feel better when they were ill or made someone smile. Its all the same thing, this is just a more intense version of that." Angela took Reds hand again and led him under the large willow tree.

She sat down in the grass and he sat with her.

"I still don't understand how we did this." He said.

"It is an angels power to relieve pain, to bring life back into those who believe they have none left. When I touched you and gave that life to the plants your energy was used also."

Hellboy watched her as she talked. She was so beautiful so graceful. He wandered how much of what Abe had read in that book was true and how much was just made up. It wasn't all a lie, he knew that from the pain in his ears when she screamed, but the book still had said nothings about this.

"I know I see it but I just don't know if I believe it." he said as he played with some grass in his hands. " I have never believed in angels."

Angela smiled. "I know, I never believed either until I became one."

"I think this garden is beautiful but wont it die, their isn't any sun here or rain." He said

"I will keep it alive, angels can sustain life they are connected to. Your connected to this garden now also. And as long as you and I are here the garden will thrive."

Hellboy was so fascinated with all of this, creatures of good never crossed his path and now he was speaking to one.

"What else can angels do, what are your abilities?" he asked.

"Well, angels can heal injuries, sense evil, sustain life, speak many languages. lets see, well angels are also immortaland and candestroywith theirvoice. Before I was cast into Hell I had all the memories of the earth, I understood so much about the world and its wisdoms. I am not a full angel any more, when I was though, I was much more powerful. But now I am mostly human, with just some extra quirks." She said with a smile

"Yeah, I remember that whole voice thing." he said rubbing his head.

"Oh, but my voice cant harm you anymore." Said Angela.

"That's a relief, but why not?"

"Your ears have probably already adapted by now." She said.

"Why do you think that?" he asked.

"Well with the type of cranium you have, it would only be effective once." She said. "Angels are also experts on demon anatomy." She said.

Hellboy looked hurt for a moment. Angela didn't know how sensitive he was about what he was. But she saw in his eyes how hurt he was even if he tried hard not to show it.

She immediately felt bad about saying that. " Hellboy, do you know why I trust you?" she said,

"No, actually I was really surprised that you opened up to me at all, after all I was the one who shot you."

"Their isn't any evil in you, you are kind and would never intentionally hurt anyone if you could help it." she said,

Hellboy was taken aback for a moment; he had never really been comfortable with compliments. But smiled and thanked her.

"By the way, if you can heal injuries, why haven't you healed yourself yet?" he asked.

"I can't heal myself, only others. And it takes some effort to do that." she said.

"Oh."

"so are you immortal?" he asked.

"not anymore. now that im not a full angel i just age more slowly and while angels cant be killed i certainly can." she said.

"their was a long silence as the conversation seemed to fizzle.

"So do you like cartoons?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Over the next seven hours or so Hellboy found out a lot about Angela. Many of the cartoons Hellboy had were old enough so she remembered them but she loved the newer ones also. She loved the color red, chocolate ice cream, poetry, painting, old black and white romance movies, and swing dancing. Her nickname in school was Bird; she loved philosophy, and had wanted a gold fish since she was three. She was afraid of the dark, and of demons though at one time, as an angel, had killed her share of them, and after watching clips of him could do a pretty accurate impression of Donald trump.

The two sat peacefully in Hellboys sofa, which was actually the back of a pick up truck that had, cushions and pillows everywhere. Hellboy leaned against the back of it with his feet stretched out in front of him. Angela sat right next to him leaning her head against his arm as they watched TV.

"Does the coyote ever catch the roadrunner?" asked Angela as they sat and watched another one of his famous episodes, this one where the coyote strapped a rocket to his back.

"I don't think so." Said Red.

"Oh," she said with a sigh. "Red, how secure is the DPRD, has anything ever escaped or gotten into this wing before?" she asked. Looking up at him.

"No. Nothing scarier than me has ever gotten in here, unless you count Manning." He said. Looking down to face her. "Don't worry kid, nothing could get in here, there are at least twelve security checks before you could ever break into even the perimeter of this place much less the live in wing."

Red knew why she asked; she had been in a hell dimension for so long, he was surprised she hadn't gone insane years ago. He had seen the terrible creatures that lurked in darkness. She didn't have to tell him that it would be a long time before she would ever feel safe again. He could only imagine how she slept at night. There were times when even he closed his eyes at night and had awakened in a cold sweat from nightmares about the things he had seen.

How had she remained so seemingly untouched by hells fury? For him it seeped down into who he was and had created a shell of strength. But Angela was so open, so honest and trusting, how could she have been in hell for so long and not lost these virtues?

Hellboy knew that different people dealt with hardship and terror in different ways, perhaps it had changed her just not in the same way it had changed him. Perhaps deep inside, underneath the innocence and the sweetness of her nature was a heart strengthened by her experience.

"Birdie, why aren't you cynical, why haven't you become mean and cold and hard by hell?" he asked.

Angela looked up at him as though she was thinking of her response. "Angels react differently to horrible, stressful, situations than others. We see and experience war, death, pain, and yes demons with our hearts. We learn to love and trust and cherish, joy and friendship and all the good things even more because we have seen the terrible things. They let us know how wonderful life is and why we must always be ready for the goodness."

Hellboy was amazed at the simplicity of her answer, yet it was so profound. He understood now, and found that a deep respect began to grow for her. Angela said it was in an angels nature to be that way but he knew it was who she was that allowed her to remain so wise to the ways of the world and yet still so happy and full of love.

"Angela." He said.

But she did not respond. He looked down, she was asleep. He lifted his arm and draped it around her shoulders and continued watching the TV. He was now, just a little happier while he watched.

i hope you like this chapter, the next one will be a little more action and as i build the storie the action will increase and the plot will form and the relationship between these two lost souls will continue.

see ya aikoalima


	5. ritual

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

Red awoke to the sound of the alarms in his room going off. They were loud obnoxious and bright as the red flashing lights accompanied the sound.

"Its three a.m." Red grumbled to himself as he hauled himself off the sofa.

Angela was gone and he had fallen asleep on the sofa, clutching a pillow.

As he got up he imagined her sneaking out of his place in the middle of the night trying not to awaken her.

Angela wasn't used to the alarm, and didn't know if anyone had actually told her it was in every room on the floor. With this thought he got ready more quickly thinking she might want some explanation when she was awakened by it.

Hellboy opened the door to his room and heard voices shouting in the hall.

He turned and saw at the end of the hallway three agents pointing rifles at Angela who they had cornered. Angela was in a defensive posture as two other agents were trying to tackle her. One had her around the waist and was trying to pull her to the ground. The other had a needle and was trying to hold her so he could inject it. Angela's feathers were ruffled, her face was full of worry and she spoke frantically in a language both complex and mysterious to everyone.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!!" Hellboy ran at them.

One of the agents shot a dart into her leg and she screamed with pain. All the agents clasped their hands over their ears, dropping to their knees as Angela pulled the dart from her bleeding leg and tossed it aside.

She slid down the wall to the floor, stopped screaming and continued frantically speaking in the strange speech just as Hellboy got there. The guards stood up and Hellboy punched the one who had shot the dart in the mouth sending him back down to the floor.

"Hey, hey, kid, its alright, what's wrong?" he said softly as he knelt down and hugged her. She was trembling all over and seemed too frantic to stop, she was practically hyperventilating as she continued her ranting.

Hellboy released her and one of the agents stepped forward.

"We have to give her this, it will calm her down." He said as he stepped forward with the syringe.

Hellboy stood up abruptly and stood inches from the agents face. "Get the hell out of here." said Hellboy with an angry expression.

"But sir..." he insisted,

"I SAID GET OUT!!!!" He yelled, swinging his arm around forcing them to back up.

He turned back to Angela and knelt down again, placing his hands on her cheeks.

"Its alright, what's wrong, what happened." He said in a calming voice.

"She was screaming in her sleep." Said one of the agents. "She would have killed the guard standing at her door with that voice if we hadn't come in, we tried to make her stop but she attacked us and we ended up out here. We had to call in reinforcements." Said an agent.

Hellboy spun his head around and glared at him. "WAS I ASKING YOU......NO, SO SHUT UP!!!" He said. Turning his head to face Angela again.

She stopped talking and looked at him. "Ok, slowly, just tell me what happened?" said Hellboy, as if being awakened in her sleep by unknown people in your bedroom wasn't enough.

"Ileosha,.." she closed her eyes, and breathed in trying to think, "evil, i...its here....its here I know,...i...I felt it." she said.

Hellboy could see the terror in her eyes. He didn't know if it was a nightmare or if what she was feeling was real but no matter which it was, he knew the experience of it had been very intense for her.

"Ok, we will find it, don't worry it will be alright." He helped her to her feet; she was still shaken and trembling.

"I-its alright now. I can't feel it anymore." She said through a wavering voice.

Professor Broom, and Agent Myers came into the hallway.

"Good morning." Said Professor Broom as he surveyed the scene.

"What's so damned good about it?" said Hellboy in a sarcastic tone.

The lights and alarm stopped.

Angela took hold of Hellboy's stone hand with both of her own still unsure about the agents who stood with lowered rifles.

"Was there a perimeter breach?" asked Hellboy without moving.

"No there was not." Said Myers. "The alarm went off because she began screaming." Said Myers.

"That's impossible, I know what I felt." Said Angela insistently as she stepped forward releasing Hellboy's hand. "I know it was real, there was something here. I know your thinking it was a nightmare, but I have had nightmares, this..Wasn't.......one....i........" Angela's voice became weak and her body grew limp, she sunk to her knees and her eyes rolled back.

"Angela, Birdie." Said Hellboy leaning over and holding her up. She was completely unconscious.

He glanced down at the blood from the dart and again his expression turned to anger.

"DAMNIT!! Is it your goal to bring as much misery as you can to her." said Hellboy. He lifted her up into his arms, her wings dangling from her back, dragging on the ground.

Hellboy couldn't speak to them he was so angry. He walked past the guards giving them a look that said; this isn't over.

He took her back into her room; the door had been kicked open and pieced of wood from the molding lay about the entrance. He took her to her bedroom, which had been kicked in also, there were two darts lodged in the mattress where the agents had obviously tried to shoot her in her sleep. The sheets and comforter were strewn about on the floor as well as the pillows. He plucked the darts from the bed and placed her gently down in it. He found two pillows on the floor. One of them had a dart in it. As he put the pillow under her head, and placed the sheets and blanket over her body he couldn't help but admire how much of a fight she had put up. And as angry as he was he whispered softly to himself. "Good girl birdie, give em hell."

He lay on her sofa all the rest of the night. Thinking. The more he thought about it the angrier he became. He could understand the need to stop her screaming. He could even understand that they had to enter her room. But the scene here was more than just rude, they busted through two doors and aimed rifles filled with sedatives at her. They shot at her three times while she was in bed and then even when she had stopped screaming continued the assault.

Hellboy was defiantly going to have some strong words with Manning tomorrow.

The next morning he awoke to the smell of coffee. He felt a blanket covering him and for a time he completely forgot where he was and fell back asleep, snuggling up with the blanket, which smelled so good, and was so warm.

He awoke some time later with the same wonderful smell wafting through the air.

He heard two coffee cups placed on the table and then felt someone sit beside him on the sofa. "Red." Whispered Angela. She was trying to wake him up. But he kept his eyes closed. He felt her shift on the sofa and then heard her voice inches from his face, her breath touching his skin. "Red, wake up." He heard her say.

With her whispering it was as though she was trying to wake him up but at the same time she didn't want to disturb his sleep. It was a contrast to the sounds he normally heard or when he tried to wake someone up; very loud and abrupt.

"Red." He heard again. This time it was right by his ear but still a whisper. She placed a hand on his shoulder, soft and gentle. "Red." He heard again and he opened his eyes.

There she was. So close he could swear he felt her lips brush his skin. When she saw that his eyes were open she smiled and pulled away. Taking a huge coffee cup from the table and handing it to him.

"Good morning." She said.

"Yeah, I bet you slept well." He said

"Like I had been sedated," She said with a laugh as she brought the coffee mug to her lips.

"You take regular, cream and sugar right." She said.

"Yeah. How did you know?" he said.

"Broom told me earlier this morning." She said. "I am having your breakfast delivered here, I would have made it myself, but I think the size of the meal might be a little much for me." She said.

The image of last night wouldn't leave him. He had dreamt about it, thought about it and as hard as he tired he couldn't get the feel that something was wrong out of him. It became clear to him that Angela had not been the only one shaken by the experience.

Perhaps it was the shock of how they had treated her. Hellboy had lived her ever since he could remember and Abe had been her for so long his blue skin didn't rattle anyone at the BPRD any more. None of the Agents would ever dream of treating wither one of them the way they had Angela last night. But Angela was new, her presence still under suspicion not only by the heads of the department but by Hellboy himself who; Even after all this time could not get his head wrapped around the idea that Angels existed and that they had such extraordinary power.

"Kid, you know last night...." His words trailed off. "It was inexcusable." He said.

"Don't worry about it Red," she said. "I will be fine. Really."

Her words were rather unconvincing but there seemed little he could do about it. as she stood up and placed her coffee cup on the table again.

"Well I will just let you finish your coffee and go get changed." She said. Walking back into her room.

"Alright." He said. Glancing around the room and picking up some books that were under the table. 'Lord of the rings' 'pride and prejudice' 'the ultimate guide to swords and knives' 'william james, pragmaticm and other writings' and 'Harry potter and the sorcerers stone.'

Red skimmed through the books, reading the backs of them.

"Red!" Angela called out from her room.

"Yeah!" he answered.

"Did you paint your room or leave it, I can't remember." She said.

"I left it, but the walls were metal so painting could be hard." He called back. As he put down the books, and picked up her coffee cup.

"Do you think I should paint the apartment?" she called to him.

Red examined the outside of the cup. It had cats on it. "I don't know whatever you want to do." He said. Not really sure why she had asked him such a question. He sipped the cup and found it was filled with hot chocolate not coffee.

"Hey, Birdie, do you drink coffee?" he asked.

"No I don't eat toffee." She said.

"Oh, ok so why do you have a coffee maker in your place?" he asked.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with toffee." She yelled to him from her room.

"What? Who said anything about toffee, I said coffee."

"What?!" she yelled.

"Oh, forget it just tell me when your done ok."

"What do you mean fudge is no fun?" she responded, but Red could tell by the tone in her voice that she was just messing with him now. And smiled.

Just then Myers walked in with two trays of food. "Morning Hellboy."

"Morning Myers."

Agent, Myers placed the trays on the coffee table and Hellboy took a strip of beacon from one of them.

"So is she alright?" he asked.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to her about it." Said Hellboy.

"Well the Professor wants us in his office asap." Said Myers. "He thinks there might have been something to Angela's fight last night."

"Yeah, well maybe you should tell that to the boys upstairs." He said.

"I'm sure they will be there." he said. "You can tell them yourself,"

"Hi." Said Angela as she walked into the room wearing a white tank top and jeans.

"Hi, we haven't formally met, my name is Myers, err, agent Myers, but my first name is John, john Myers." He said nervously as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Angela, but my friends call me bird" she said.

Hellboy stood up. "Broom wants us in his office." He said.

"Oh alright." Said Angela.

"Hey, John, do you think I should paint the place or leave it white?" asked Angela as she pointed to the walls.

"Myers looked at the room and the ceiling. "I think you should paint it, it would bring out the personality in the room and would add some life to it with color." He said. "And you see how the ceiling is, well you could paint the ceiling also with a foe finish and bring some depth to theroom it would look nice since they are tall already." He said pointing to the ceiling to show her what he meant.

Angela smiled brightly, as he engaged her question. "Well I do love to paint maybe a mural or something."

"Yeah that would be great you could...." Added Myers.

Hellboy groaned with misery. "Ok, as fun as this is I think we should go."

They all walked to Brooms office. Hellboy let Angela get ahead of him and then pulled Myers aside. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" asked Myers.

"That whole. Paint. Wall. Crap you were spewing a minute ago. You were flirting with her weren't you?' he asked suspiciously.

"No, I was just answering her question." He responded.

"Hellboy looked unconvinced.

"What? My uncle was a painter, I like that kind of stuff." He said.

Hellboy stood there, frustrated and unwilling to accept Myers answer. "You know she's married. So...so watch your back." He said as he huffed off. Leaving Myers thoroughly confused.

"Son, Angela. Myers. Welcome." Said Professor Broom as they entered his office.

"Is this about last night?" asked Hellboy as he eyed the agents who stood in the room.

"Yes. We have someone here who you should meet." He said

A man was wheeled into the room he was tied to a chair and was unconscious.

"Who is he?" asked Myers.

"He's the man from Isle of Mull, the island we found Angela at." Said Hellboy.

"I didn't know he was in custody." Said Myers.

"We thought it best to keep him a secret until now." Said Broom.

"Last night he awoke for the first time." Said Broom. "at the same time when Angela screamed."

"He was the source?" said Angela. "of what I felt."

"So we shall see." Said Broom, who took from his pocket a vile of smelling salt and placed it under his nose.

The man began to awaken and look around.

Angela backed up, her eyes fixed on him, her wings fluffed out and raised a little, her breathing quickened and her expression became transfixed on him.

"Y-yes this is him." She said.

He awakened fully and looked around but when he saw Angela, his gaze rested on her.

"nolistsh abrevag, endolish." He said with a low voice.

Angela stepped forward, though still seemingly frightened. "iglasol inodhita." She responded.

"What is he saying?" asked Broom.

"H-he says I am the one he has been looking for. I told him he is mistaken"

"neglvinia ashgard in tomolistal, nedredge...." He continued, this time taking an evil grip as he gazed upon her.

"No he says, I am shedra, the angel of love, who's soul is condemned to hell."

"mostrifa legnadga mosterufdelok Rasputin awena."

"And that I can not escape his master, Rasputin,."

"castolipe consantivil lastrstes. Hastole hin scedfu fjowu" He said.

At his words Angela was at first very frightened and seemed hesitant to translate them, but then she approached him with confidence and as though she were spitting the words out spoke to him.

"nadactero insel tdaya tadyashes inooctuper stelodt."

"What did you say to him?" asked Hellboy.

"He said when Rasputin finds me it will be the end of life, and that I shall never again....i suppose it translates to..... walk without him. But that's not what it means." She paused. "I told him his master would feel the steel of my sword across his neck before allow that to happen." She said.

"I don't think he is human." she said. "I think he is a demon."

"Why do you think that?" said Broom.

"I don't know, experience I guess." She said.

"Ask him when his master will be doing this? Where?" said Hellboy.

"atulo decadh. Shjeopdfj." She said.

"eklldr djeiskap fjooldscm fjoeajwo Anung un rama."

"He says Anung un Rama, Hellboy shall know the end when he dies trying to kill Shedra, the angel doomed to hell."

"Well that's not going to happen, I say we just kill him." Said Hellboy. "he isn't really giving very useful info."

"Birdie."

She was still fixed upon the man.

"Birdie." Said Hellboy again. "Hey kid, snap out of it." he said walking over and taking hold of her shoulders.

"Uh, yeah, yes what is it,"

"What does 'never walk without Rasputin.' Mean? You said that was the translation but what does it mean?"

"it is a process of consuming someone's soul, it envelopes a couple of different things, one of them is um.....usually..."

"Well spit it out." Said Hellboy

"Sex, one step is sex, during a ritual. Another is blood letting. Usually draining the entire body of as much blood as possible....there are other things, um...it has to be done in a cursed place where the dead rest without peace. Um...the ritual can take up to four days to complete and must be done on certain nights but I'm unfamiliar with the specifics of when It has to be done." She paused, visibly shaken from even trying to say what this was. "This ritual has never been successfully performed in recorded history. Its results are so terrible that to mention the ritual name is forbidden."

"What will happen if it is completed?" asked Broom.

"No magical creatures of good will have power any more. Every angel will be slautered until the demon flood gates can be opened." She took a step back. "You see most of the hell dimensions as you call them are guarded by angels, the demons inside have never escaped, but when there is nothing to hold them back, they will come into earth. There will be nothing left until hell and earth are indistinguishable from one another."

"I don't understand how taking over your soul will cause all of this?" said Broom.

"Raspitin, the demon called the mad monk, will have the soul of an angel, he will gain uninhibited access to all the history and knowledge every angel possesses, and will have the happiness and love and joy of the angels under his control. Angels will looses their power of influence over life. But Rasputin will gain it, and will be far more powerful than what any angel can do. he will use this power to crush the hope of men and free the demons."

"nastelof ictediosa Shedra." Said the man.

"actelio dietgo joe e dii wleop."

"What did he say?"

"He said my life belongs to him. I told him that I would be dead before he claimed it." she said,

Hellboy had heard enough. He just couldn't stand here and listen to this another moment.

Without a word he walked up and punched the guy In the head, nocking him out.

"What, I think he was done anyways." said Hellboy.

"This is very interesting." I will have to research anything I can find out about this ritual, but in the mean time I think we have found out that your screams were legitimized last night." Said professor Broom.

"The staff will work on sound proofing your quarters. In the meantime I suggest you get some rest, your testing will begin tomorrow as planned." He said.

"wait a minute, he wants to steel her soul and take over the earth and we are gonna sit on out asses watchin her do tests?" said Hellboy sarcastically.

"I promise son, that we will find out as much as we can and do everything in our power to protect you Angela from allowing that to happen." Said Broom.

"Its not just my life at stake, the whole world is in danger, the best thing is to kill me." She said.

OK THIS CHAPTER IS DONE GONNA GO WORK ON THE NEXT, OH AND HELLBOY DID ASK HER WHY SHE WAS IN HELL WHEN SHE WAS IN THE CELL, BUT HE COULDSEE SHE WASNT READY TO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT DONT WORRY IT WILL ALL BE REVEALED.

AIKOALIMA.


	6. rapid rate of change

"Get that out of your head right now." Said Hellboy to Angela. "No one is going to kill you that includes this maniac or Rasputin."

"Fine then ill do it myself." She said with determination as she walked over to the table and picked up a letter opener and aimed it at her chest.

"NO!!!" yelled Hellboy as he rushed over and grabbed her hand.

She began to flap her wings furiously as she tried to pull her hand out of his grasp.

Her body lifted from the ground as she tried to wrench her arm free of him, papers Flew everywhere as a strong gust of wind blew around the room.

"Shetletok oni." She yelled.

"I don't know what the hell that means but this is not a solution," he said, grabbing her other arm with his stone hand. Pulling her closer to him. "STOP." He yelled.

"Then let go of me." She growled. Without letting up.

"Only if you give me that letter opener and listen to reason." He said as he released her hand and snatched the letter opener from the other.

"Fine." She said angrily as she lowered herself to the ground.

"Now listen." He said pointing a finger at her, "that was really stupid, think about what your doing. Its madness."

"This is my world to, I have sworn to protect it and I will do whatever is in my pow…"

"Alright we get it your noble, but just wait." He said with frustration. "Just wait a damned minute for us to try and find some other solution."

"And what if you can't find one?"

"We always do." He said. In a low voice,

"WHAT IF THERE IS NONE!" She yelled, as the tension in the room got really high.

"THEN I'LL KILL YA MYSELF, THERE ARE YOU HAPPY!!!!" He yelled, not really believing what he was saying.

Angela stared straight at him filled with so much fury that she could not speak. Not angry at him but at everything, at all she had just heard but could not believe. Without saying another word she left.

Hellboy turned to go after her but Broom stopped him. "Son, wait." He said. "Let her go. I need to speak to you in private."

Everyone left the room except for Hellboy and Professor Broom. "Son, we need to train her," he said.

"What do you mean train her, train her how?" asked Hellboy,

"She needs to be taught how to fight, how to respond, If she is to defend herself against Rasputin she needs to learn how to fight. I know the BPRD had planned on training her in a month or so. To see if she would fit in with you and Abe and the rest of the defense department but I don't think we can wait that long." He said.

"But why tell me, cant the boys in the training hall take care of it."

"You two are becoming friends despite your argument and….." he stopped afraid to say it. "If it comes down to it, and you have to kill her.."

"Hay I'm not killing her," interrupted Hellboy.

"If you have to…. you need to know how she moves, what her abilities are and what she has learned, It will be a great advantage." He said.

"I am not murdering my friend." Hellboy stated again. "Is that it, is that what you wanted to tell me. You want me to come to her training sessions so that if I have to kill her I know what to expect as a defense."

Professor Broom stood there in silence for a log time before muttering his answer. "Yes."

Hellboy shook his head. "I don't believe this, I would expect this kind of thing from Manning but not from you." He said. "I wont do it. There is no way you can make me." He said.

"I understand how hard this is for you son…but in the end, if we exhaust every option. If we cant find any way to prevent Rasputin from performing this ritual. Son if it gets to that point no one can save her. You must be prepared for the worst-case scenario." He said.

Hellboy was no more convinced than when he had pulled the letter opener from Angela's hand. "How can you know that, you only just found out about the ritual today. How can you know she can't be brought back after Rasputin takes her soul."

"We have known about it for three months." Said Broom reluctantly.

Hellboy looked confused.

"We knew what was coming out of the gate when we sent you and Abe there." He said. "We told you it would be a demon because…well…."

"You thought there was a chance we might kill her then, and stop the ritual from the start." Hellboy said, suddenly realizing he had been lied to the whole time.

Broom looked ashamed to admit it but nodded his head. "Hellboy, this is the greatest threat the world has ever seen. We needed to create as many options as possible."

"How could you lie to me." He said.

"I don't think you understand what we are dealing with here son, If Rasputin starts that ritual… we have found no way to stop it except killing Angela."

"Then you search harder." Said Hellboy angrily.

"We have been searching for three months."

"So that's why you are forcing her to stay here, so you can keep an eye on her, keep her away from him, well you cant do that forever, eventually she is going to go outside."

"We were hoping the window that Rasputin could perform the ritual in would pass within a month or so." Said Professor broom. "But we aren't certain, it's just an estimate."

"This is, I assume, also why the Agents have been so stand offish to her. Why they are so quick to fire on her, they don't want to get to close, just in case… in case they have to…to kill her." said Hellboy.

"Yes." Said Broom.

"Why bring her in here then. Why subject her to that madman at all if you knew everything already?" he asked. Still in disbelief that they would lie to him all this time.

"We needed to know we were right. She can translate his words in moments and we needed it from his own lips. But Hellboy, this still leaves us in the same place. If further research leaves us without an alternative solution you must be prepared for the worst." he said, placing hand on his sons large shoulder.

Hellboy shook his fathers hand from his shoulder.

Professor Broom looked hurt but knew why his son was mad. "son….Hellboy, I never meant to hurt you, to lie to you, I am sorry." He said.

Hellboy leaned back in his chair, taking on his classic sarcasm. "You gotta do what you gotta do." He said, as he stood up and headed for the door not looking at Broom.

"Oh and Hellboy, if Rasputin should come for her here. Manning's men have been ordered to kill her before he reaches her." he said concerned. "You will protect her?" he said.

for a moment Hellboy saw that his father really did like Angela, he never wanted to hurt her.

"Yeah. You know I will, but I hope to have her trained and able to protect herself by then." He said.

He walked slowly; a sick churning in the pit of his stomach was threatening to make him vomit.

He walked past Angela's room, feeling that if he saw her now the feeling would surely cause him to hurl right there.

Entering his room Hellboy flopped himself down on his bed. He looked over at the TV, which had cartoons on all the time and shut it off with the remote. He didn't want to see them now; all he wanted to do was lye down.

How was he going to talk to her now, how could he live with himself. Hellboy pushed it out if his mind and tried to sleep, maybe a nap would help clear his head.

An hour later he awoke. Feeling no better but also feeling that the only approach was the direct approach and that talking to Angela was the only way he could begin to sort things out.

He prayed his father and Abe would find some way, some solution.

He dressed and combed his hair, then headed out to the Garden.

He walked the path from his door and saw Myers coming back along it. He was heading for Angela's door.

"Hey Red." He said.

"Hi, is Angela here?"

"She's here somewhere, I talked to her but she was so upset. I think she climbed one of the trees, but i couldn't find her." He said.

"Thanks."

Red continued down the path, passing trees, flowers all things that just two days ago could never have grown here. Plants that took years to grow to the heights they now reached.

"HAY, KID!!" he yelled. His voice bounced off the walls echoing through the humungous room.

"Leave me alone Red." Her voice sounded like it was coming from every direction.

"Damnit!" he said under his breath, he hated this. This was defiantly not his style.

He looked around at all the treetops, searching through the canopy for any sign of her. He ran through the trees abandoning the path looking upwards as he went. Then stopping when he saw a glimpse of her shoulder at the top of a huge oak.

"Will you please talk to me!" he said. The sound again reverberated off the walls and Hellboy didn't think she knew he was right under the tree.

"No, leave me alone Hellboy,"

Hellboy sighed and began climbing the tree. "Come on kid, don't do this." He said. As a few minutes later he reached the top of the tree and took hold of her arm.

"Well I don't think you have any right to…..AAAGHGHHH." She screamed when he took hold of her arm, scared that someone she had no idea was there grabbed her.

"WHOOOH." Hellboy was so startled at her scream that he lost his footing and dragging her with him they both began falling from the tree.

Angela took hold of an extended branch with her free arm and held it as tight as she could. The branch began to break and she looked down at Hellboy who had a hold of her arm.

"Oh shit that's a long way dow…." He said as he peered down at the ground. But before he could even finish the sentence the branch broke.

Angela leaned down and put her arms under Hellboys and spread open her wings as full as they would go. Then with a whoosh she flapped them down as hard as she could lifting them away from the tree. She flew down to the ground as best she could while holding Hellboy.

They landed with a thud in a heap on the grass. Angela was on top of him with her hands under his arms. She turned to the side and spit grass out of her mouth.

"Are you ok?" asked Red. As he lay in the grass. The wind was knocked out of him and he thought it best to just sit still for a second.

"Give me…. a minute to catch my breath." She said. She was breathing hard, she had never carried anything as heavy as Red before.

Her wings drooped over them both like a blanket; they were sore and exhausted from the sudden excursion.

"C-can we, please stop being angry at each other. I think it's a danger to my health." Said Hellboy. As he lifted his head to look at her.

"S-sure thing," said Angela as she sat up. "Yaw know the next time you decide to climb a tree, please tell me so I can steer clear. I don't want to have to save your ass like that again." She said with a smile between breaths.

"Scouts honor," he said, lifting his stone hand up and putting two fingers up.

"The boy scout solute has three fingers." She said.

"Oh, right, I was just testing you." he said, replacing the two fingers with three, A smile on his face.

Angela laughed but suddenly realized the position she was in, she was straddling him. She turned slightly pink and removed her legs.

"Ok, so you and me, we are alright, we are friends again?" asked Hellboy.

"Mono e mono." She said with a smile.

Hellboy hadn't worked out the possibility that he might have to kill Angela, but the more he thought about it, the more he suspected he wouldn't have been able to even if he had wanted to. He didn't know if that comforted him or not but decided to just think about protecting her from capture rather than what to do after she was caught.

He sat with her on the couch as she looked at some catalog and he watched cartoon network.

Something he liked was that they didn't have to fill in every moment with talk; he was comfortable just being himself with her.

And as the afternoon turned into evening they had a bunch of conversations. Hellboy learned that in addition to not liking cabbage, which her parents used to make all the time, she hated medicine, doorbells, and advertisements. They had a laugh about the morning's conversation where she cleared up the fact that she was allergic to coffee and hated toffee but kept a coffee machine around because she loved the smell of coffee.

Hellboy was not surprised to find out though that she hated the taste of alcohol and had never drank more than a few sips in her life. She loved mountains. And loved the rain, though when her wings are soaked through she couldn't fly.

The evening continued and Hellboy invited Angela to his place.

"I didn't notice the other night that you had so many cats." She said. Maybe they would like it if you let them out into the garden."

Hellboy thought this was a great idea and one by one he let them out to explore.

"What about this one?" asked Angela as she peered at a Black and white cat that was asleep in its bed.

"Oh, her, I found her in an ally about a month ago, turns out she's pregnant. The kittens should be here anytime. " He said.

Angela crouched down next to the cat and pet her. "She's beautiful." She said.

"Do you think I could have one of the kittens?" she asked. Looking up at him.

Hellboy knelt down with next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes. When she gives birth do you want to be here?" he asked.

She smiled with happiness. "Of course." She said with delight.

They smiled at eachother and Angela felt butterflies in her stomach kneeling here with him. She was happy when he was with her and it was then that she realized she hadn't thought about the ritual or Rasputin since she had been with him.

She had half expected to be terrified but she found that she wasn't scared at all.

She felt Reds hand on her shoulders, its large smooth stone texture refreshing against her skin. She turned and peered at the designs that were engraved in his skin. She thought they were beautiful.

She heard a noise in the doorway and her heart skipped a beat as she turned to see what it was. One of Hellboy's cats came in through it. She relaxed and turned back to the cat.

"What?" asked Hellboy, seeing her look behind her at the door.

"Oh nothing I thought I heard something but it was just your cat." She said.

Later that same evening Angela found herself lying with Red in front of the TV watching cartoons again. His arm casually draped over shoulders.

She glanced at the clock. It was one in the morning and Angela knew she had to get up early the next morning. She looked up at Hellboy but saw that he was asleep.

She picked up Reds arm and placed it on his thigh and Gently so as not to disturb him got off the sofa and headed out the garden door. She closed it as softly as she could and then walked down the path. It was dark and after walking for only a few moments Angela's heart began to beat faster. She could feel a fear creep ever so slightly up into her chest and she walked faster, finding relief only once she had securely found her way to her apartment and locked the door behind her.

Some men were there working which startled her slightly.

"Hi, Ma'm, we will be finished in just a moment, we are just finishing up here," he said.

"Ok." She responded. She remembered that they were going to be sound proofing her room.

"Just don't touch the dry wall for 24 hours alright." He said tipping his hat and leaving with his men.

"Thank you." she said as she closed the door behind them.

She looked down and realized they had fixed the doors also.

Just one night before hand she had spent her first night in this apartment. Taking showers and changing cloths were experiences she had to get used to again. But tonight she promised herself she would not let anything spoil the enjoyment of her new home.

She looked at the lock suspiciously and then went in the living room and pushed the love seat up against the door. If they wanted to break in they would have to work at it, she thought.

She could feel something growing down in the pit of her stomach. Something that made her on alert, she couldn't relax.

What she had heard this morning was slowly sinking in and she found moments where she was lost in fear. Btu carried on as usual trying to push it away.

It was this way through out the night; she thought she heard something and she would sit up afraid.

But eventually, sleep did take hold of her and she settled down into the sheets. Her nightmares were filled with the demons and monsters she had run from in hell. Their gruesome hunts finally successful in the one place she could not fight them, her dreams. She dreamed of the monsters she had killed, their souls taking revenge upon her. She dreamt of Rasputin, the demon capable of more evil than all the others. The little knowledge she knew of the ritual he must perform was terrible to even think of. It evolved torture, all kinds of torture. In her nightmares she could not escape it. But worse than all her nightmares was when earth was overrun by the evil. And every hope was lost.

She did not know how much of the night she screamed aloud but when she awoke she was screaming.

She looked over at the clock. It was 6 30 am.

As good a time to get up as any she thought.

An hour later Angela walked in the training room.

Hellboy stood leaning against the wall over by the firing range.

He saw her walk in, dressed in a black t-shirt and some jeans.

Some of the guys started introducing themselves to her.

Jim. Who was in charge of guns and ammo first, immediately followed by the Dawson brothers who stumbled over themselves to shake her hand. They were good kids but a little nutty, they invented all the interesting gadgets Hellboy had come to know so well. Such as the tracking devices.

Hellboy pushed himself off the wall and walked over. The Dawson's were handing her a tracking device of her own. Just like his but it was pink. Hellboy took hold of it before Angela even had a chance to touch it.

"Pink?" he said suspiciously as he examined the device. "No, absolutely not, there is no pink on my team. Take it back and fix it." he said handing the device back to them.

"What color then?" they asked.

"Green." Said Angela with a smile.

"I know the rest of the boys are interested in meeting you but I think I can show you around." Said Hellboy leading her over to the firing range and handing her a pistol.

"This is a 22 caliber. Do you know what that means?" he asked

"No, I have never held a gun before." she said, holding it as though she were holding a dangerous animal.

"Now, you don't have to be afraid of it, there is only one thing you should remember in order to always be safe with a gun." He said as he lowered himself and wrapping his arms around her so that he could show her how to hold the pistol when aiming at the target. "Never aim it at anything you don't want to shoot, so that means you are always aware of where the barrel is pointing." He said as he straightened her arms with his own.

"The caliber of the gun, in this case a 22, refers to the size of the bullet that can fit in the chamber." He said as he placed a box of bullets on the table in front of her.

"When you are shooting, the way you know what you're hitting it by looking at the front and rear sights." He said pointing to the small dots on the top of the gun. "Just line those up in a row and don't focus on the target or the rear sight, focus on the front sight." He said. "There you go, now squeeze the trigger slowly." he said.

She did but there were no bullets in the gun. "You should always start without rounds when you practice, it lets you feel weather your shaking the gun or pulling it to the right or anything like that." He said taking a bullet from the box. He removed the magazine and placed ten bullets in them.

"Here you go, try it now." He said.

Angela squeezed of a single round. The sound made her jump. It was so unexpected and loud.

Hellboy had a huge grim on his face and slapped her on the back, "there ya go, you got It." He said.

Angela smiled, still uncertain and a bit shaken by the noise but proud of herself.

Over the course of the day she learned all about guns, how to load them, how to clean them, how to draw them and How to use them.

But it wasn't until the end of the day that Hellboy handed her his gun from its holster, "here ya go kid, lets see how ya do with this old girl." He said.

"Jim I don't want to hear a peep from you she can do this got it." said Hellboy as Jim stepped forward in protest.

"There ya go, now just squeeze the trigger slowly just like you have been doing, I got some special bullets for this thing." he said as Angela took aim at a dummy that had been place about 10 feet away.

Angela squeezed the trigger. The kick back sent her to the ground. But she heard clapping and cheers as she stood up.

"All right kid you're a natural." Said Hellboy. The dummy's head had been blown off.

"I think that will do it for today." He said, as he led her to the door.

Angela smiled feeling very good about herself. But as she looked back, she stopped and turned and started walking to a caged in storage area. She could have sworn…she saw something out of the corner of her eye that brought back memories of when she was stronger, when she felt joy.

In the cage was a display case full of swords. A man walked up to her from inside. "Ya wanna try one?" He said. Seeing the desire in her eyes as she stared at the swords.

"I could give you a quick lesson." He said.

Angela Grinned thinking how surprised they all would be when she got a sword in her hand. "Sure. I would love to learn." she said.

"This is Jack, he is our resident hand to hand combat guy, he specializes in swords so watch out." Said Hellboy as Jack got two swords from the case and walked around to her.

He motioned her over to some mats, which were spread out like an arena. "Can I take my shoes off?" she asked. Not really caring weather he said yes or no.

"Of course you can." He said with a big smile as he handed her a sword. "I promise to go easy on ya."

Hellboy watched from the sidelines. " Hey jack, ive seen what you call easy so tone it down just a little more." her said.

"Sure thing." said Jack as he handed Angela a sword. "Now this is the way you hold it, I'm staring you off with a lighter one so you don't get to over whelmed." He said. I see your left handed so put it in your left hand."

"Whatever you say." Said Angela acting innocent. She held the sword in a beginners ready position.

"I see you have had a few lessons." He said,

"Just a few." She lied.

Jack began his attack and Angela clumsily avoided it letting Jack nock the sword out of her hand. "Oops." She said. Picking the sword back up.

"Now don't hold the sword so rigidly. Let your hand be loose so it flows more easily with your movement." He said.

"Like this?" Asked Angela as she changed her grip,

"Yes." He said, with a smile on his face.

Jack began his attack again, swinging the sword down from above. Angela positioned her sword to the side and deflected it. while positioning her feet so she could strike with an attack of her own.

Jack stepped back and blocked her strike. Then swinging his sword down went for her feet. Angela jumped away from the strike and flipped over his head, landing with the tip of her sword pressed lightly against Jacks neck.

Jack turned around. The smile was gone from his face. A mixture of surprise and deep determination filled his eyes as he positioned himself again ready for her to attack.

A smirk filled Angela's lips as she and Jack faced off.

"I see you have had more than a few lessons." He said as the two encircled eachother. Each never looking away from the other.

"A few." She said. With a devious smile still plastered to her face.

Jack seemed determined to win as he stared at her. Not wanting to underestimate her again.

"Then lets see what you do with this." He said as he spring forward with an attack.

The two fought for five minutes one never really besting the other. Until finally Jack drew back sweat pouring from his brow, an expression of unyielding defiance that she could be just as good as him.

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP CODE RED CODE RED

"Aint it always the way." Said Red as he threw the lit cigar he had in his hand and smashed it out with his foot. "This was getting fun." He said, disappointed that they couldn't finish their fight.

"What is it this time ya think?" said Myers as he walked in and started loading his gun at the armory station.

"Hell if I know." Said Red as he turned to Angela.

"What's going on?" she asked. Jack had gone back in and replaced his sword and was pulling out army knifes from a closet.

Agents lined up and were taking one each, And placing them in their boots.

"We are saddling up for work kid. That alarm there means theirs some monster out there that we gotta go great with muffins and lemonade." He said as he strapped his gun belt to his waist.

"Ok, fine." She said as she walked into the caged area and grabbed a sheath with a belt. She wrapped the belt to her waist and placed the sword in it. Then grabbed knives and stuck one in each boot. Then exitingshe walked overand grabbed the pink locator before standing in front of Hellboy. "Lets go."

This chapter is long and took a long time to complete so I hope you enjoy.


	7. angel history

"You're not going anywhere." Said Hellboy as they walked beside eachother towards the debriefing room.

"Why not. I have been cooped up with out so much as a glimpse of the sun or the sky for over twenty-nine years and as if that's not enough incentive, I have also killed more demons than you will in your entire lifetime. So if you can think of any reason why I shouldn't be allowed to join you, I am all ears. " She said without stopping.

They were right outside the office of the debriefing room when Hellboy pulled her aside. "How about because Rasputin is trying to destroy the world, and he needs you to do It." he said directly.

"Do you really think these walls are any deterrent for him. Hellboy if he wants me, nothing short of death will stop him." She said.

She took a deep breath in before continuing. "At least let me be free for a while. For as long as I can."

Hellboy stood ad was about to respond when Myers poked his head out the doorway. "Hey, Hellboy, your needed inside."

"Uh, yeah alright I will be right there."

He stood silent looking down at her as though he could only think of things that he did not want to say.

"Just go." she said finally. "They are waiting for you."

Hellboy stepped into the room followed closely by Angela.

"Hellboy, we have more information on this one than usual so Abe wont be joining you." said Manning as he clicked a remote and brought up a screen on the wall. "this is the creature, it caused a disturbance in central west about twenty minutes ago, killing two people, from what we can tell it has friends." He brought up a new picture of three creatures. "We did some fast research and found its called…"

"Samaielle, an ancient demon that could not be destroyed when it was alive a century years ago, its essence was sealed in a holy relic by the tears of a thousand angels. It will not be easy to destroy, and who ever released it must have done so with purpose." Interrupted Angela.

"Yes that is what we found also." Said Manning

"Listen I don't care much about all the history crap all im looking is to kill it." said Hellboy.

"Right, well that's the tricky thing, we haven't found a way yet but im certain Angela can bring us some enlightenment on the subject." Said Manning as he turned to Angela.

"As far as I know, only angels can kill a samaielle completely, but that's not the worst part you have to be concerned about. These creatures breed at an extraordinary rate. They can reach numbers in the hundreds in only a few days." She said.

Manning looked distressed at her words. Angela questioned weather he was worried because of the creature or because he was afraid of having to allow her away from the watchful eye of the BPRD.

"You're not going on this mission." Said Manning.

Angela was right; he was more concerned about letting her out than killing the creature.

"Hellboy, you and the team will just have to find a way to kill this thing. I am sorry Angela but it is to risky to have you along, my men have a hard enough time keeping track of you while you're here, we cant risk taking you outside."

At his word Hellboy remembered what his father had said about Manning's men. They might kill her. A sinking feeling caught in his chest and for a moment he thought that she might be safer on the mission with him.

"Hellboy, get your team together and move out." Said manning as he collected his papers from the desk. "we are done here."

Hellboy tried too free the tightening in his chest as he looked at Angela, telling himself that he would be gone for only a few hours at the most and she would be fine.

Angela looked disappointed but not surprised at Manning's decision and placed a hand on Reds chest. "Don't worry." She said with a smile.

"What makes you think im worried." Said Red as he lit another cigar. "Its them damned monsters who are gonna be worried,"

Angela smiled more brightly. She could see past his words and for some reason it made him feel better about having to go. "kill one for me HB." She said as he left. "I will be here when you get back."

He smiled as he walked away. Man that girl was something else. He thought as he checked his gun for bullets.

It was already early evening by the time the team left, nearly 8 pm. Angela as exousted from the day, she hadn't had much down time since she had gotten up that morning and her muscles ached.

The thought of rest had been circling around in her brain for an hour at least but she kept feeling an uneasiness. A fear almost.

It was Rasputin. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone including herself, Angela was more concerned about the ritual than anyone knew. She felt an urge to do something to protect herself, to protect the world.

Through examining her own thoughts Angela found herself in the library where Abe was busy reading away from inside his tank.

"Hello." He said with surprise as she walked in.

"Hello." She said, walking over and casually examining the books he was reading.

"You didn't come in here just to browse for reading material." Said Abe. Knowing what was going through her head.

"No." she said. "The truth is i…"

"You wanted to do everything you could to help find a way to stop the end of the world." Said Abe.

"Something like that." she said with a smile.

"I am happy you came, I was going to ask you to come anyway. I need to ask you some questions. Anything about angels, about your time in hell and why you were sent there, could help." He said.

Angela sighed and moved a chair over to the tank. "o knew I would have to tell all sooner or later." She said with reluctance.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning." She said. "Or rather at the end." She said with a small smile that shone with no flicker of happiness but rather with an amused irony.

"it was February 17th, 1944. The day I died." She paused, closing her eyes and leaning back in the seat. "My daughter Katherine, I remember her baby smell as she rested asleep next to my body, my mothers hand clasping my own, as though she thought if she and I held tightly enough we could hold my spirit in my body and I would not die. My parents had arrived just three days earlier in Germany after hearing of my daughter's birth. It was clear even then that I would never see home again. None of us accepted it the first day but on the second a feeling came over me, and I knew I would die. Btu my mother held fast to defiance. She always was stubborn; it was the only way she and my father had survived during their hard lives, by never accepting defeat. Before they came to America their last name was Mcpherren, but once arriving here, there was so much prejudice, and they changed it to Thompson. That's just how strong they were, they were always able to give up everything to survive.

When my husband died, I thought I would never again be able to breath properly. It just hurt too much, that pain never went away, even when I went to Germany. That's something I regret, I brought my daughter into the world feeling only pain. I wish I had been able to show her happiness first, but I have never been as strong as my mother. That's why I named my daughter after her, Katherine.

My husband was a United States soldier, but he was Jewish, and when he was captured, the Germans didn't place him in a POW camp, they put him in a concentration camp. They couldn't give me his body because they had burned it along with the others they had murdered, but I didn't know that until I was already there." Tears rolled down her face as she spoke but she never stopped. "The last thing I remember was my mothers hand, it was wrapped so tightly, my mothers face so filled with pain, she had been crying for so long and her eyes were red, she seemed so desperate, as though she was begging me…to live. I reached my hand out to wipe my mothers tears away; I wanted her to understand, to be happy. But my hand never reached her face and I heard her scream.

I remember dieing. It was…like closing my eyes, and slowly breaking the surface of the water to breath in air for the first time. There was peace and silence, without even my own thoughts to clutter it.

I became an angel because of how I died. When a person dies trying to relieve pain or suffering their spirit becomes an embodiment of that act, and an angel is born. So you see it was because of my mother that I am what I am.

Twenty years or so later my parents died and I was able to thank them. That was a bonus in the angel department, being able to speak to you loved ones." She said with a smile.

"Did you ever get to se our husband?" asked Abe,

The smile quickly vanished from Angela's face. "No…he wasn't in heaven." She said.

"Is he in hell?"

"I don't know where he is." She said. "No one ever told me."

"Why were you sent to hell?" asked Abe.

Sorry to cut you off short but their was a lot of dialogue in that chapter and you need to know it so I thought you should read it.


	8. angel history 2

"There is a complicated answer to that question, I have so many mixed emotions. I don't know what to feel anymore." She said.

Abe was silent and Angela knew she had to tell him; it could be the most important information she offered to him.

She took a deep breath and sighed before continuing. "I met my husband when I was very young. But there was no naiveté involved in our love. It was the most I had ever felt for another person. Our connection surpassed anything words have ever been able to express. I was home; there was nothing more I desired. nothing I would ever need accept him. I was never so at peace, even in heaven, as when I was with him." She stopped, and looked down. As though she was trying to hide her sadness.

"You miss him terribly." Said Abe, placing his webbed hand to the glass. "You are remembering a time when you were alive. When you…. the day you met him." He said seeing into her mind. He suddenly removed his hand from the glass, feeling as though he was prying. But Angela placed a hand on the glass and looked up at him.

"No, its alright, it is comforting, to know that someone understands how much I love him." She said before wiping the tears from her eyes.

"After he died I was terribly sad that I could not speak with him but Gabriel would not tell me anything…."

"Gabriel?" asked Abe.

"There are three different tasks that angels perform. There are angels of death, who guide the souls of mortals who have died to their afterlife. There are angels of mercy, who help heal and comfort those in pain or suffering. And there are guardian angels, who guard mortals from demons, they also hunt and kill demons." She said. "Gabriel oversees the angels of mercy."

"Were you an angel of mercy?" he asked.

"Yes. And a guardian angel. Gabriel was the angel of death for me as I died." She said. "All angels are Guardians, we all kill demons and protect mortals from them. But angels are either those of mercy or those of death, we must be one or the other."

"Has an angel ever been both or gone from being an angel of mercy to an angel of death?" asked Abe.

"Yes, but it was over three hundred years ago, her name was Sydney, their were special circumstances. Her brother was dying, he was only a boy and she had raised him since he was an infant. He was frightened and alone, shot by an arrow in the woods. She was an angel of mercy but went to him as an angel of death, to comfort him through the process. Though it was not her job she was allowed."

"So as you were saying, Gabriel would not tell you where your husband was, why not?"

"I am sure he had his reasons, but it was painful none the less. I was patient for many years, I never knew where he was and I was seeing the aftermath of world war 2, I became so filled with anger and pain, missing my husband, not understanding why he was killed. Or why so many others had to die, I began to doubt my place, my purpose as an angel. And then…"

"I committed the greatest sin any angel or mortal can commit." She said.

She was silent for a long time and Abe could feel a mixture of shame, anger and guilt filled satisfaction from her.

"I killed a mortal." She said. "A human. Who was powerful, who I felt such anger and hatred for that it overwhelmed me."

"Who." Asked Abe. "Who did you kill?"

Her lips curled and her eyes furrowed in anger as his name rolled like poison off her tongue.

"Adolph Hitler!" she said with disgust.

"You killed him." Said Abe surprised.

"Yes, I was condemned to hell."

"But what of angels of death, don't they kill, it could not have been that egregious."

"No, angels don't kill at all, even angels of death only guide those who have already died." She said. "I lost myself that day, I lost my soul. Gabriel pleaded to in my defense but in the end it was he who had to order me to hell, it was he who took me there. I have never seen him so sad as that day." She said.

Abe looked at her, recognizing something in her expression. "You were more than friends, you and Gabriel." He said.

"Yes, briefly, though I never forgot my husband, he was comforting to me." She said with a small smile.

"Do you regret it?" asked Abe. "Your decision to kill Hitler?"

Angela looked as though she was going to say something like of course but stopped herself. "Honestly, No, I have never enjoyed suffering, but I can remember seeing very little humanity lift in him at the time of his death. In fact he was more demon than human when I killed him."

"So no one had ever killed a mortal before you?" asked Abe.

"No. I have been the only angel ever to be sent to hell." She said.

They were silent fro some time, Just absorbing the conversation.

"Do you mind if I ask you more questions? I know this is hard." He said. "But anything you can provide could be of great help."

"Of course, it is alright, I knew things would have to come out sometime." She said.

"What do you know about the ritual?" he said.

"I have heard it mentioned…." He breath became quick as fear gripped her chest.

"Its alright." She said. "Take your time."

"It must be performed by a demon who has more power than any I have ever encountered." She said. "it has never before been performed that I know of. I am sorry but…I just don't know anything very specific."

"That's alright, but when you said before about the blood letting…." He asked.

"Yes, well it is theorized that the two participants…that would be me and Rasputin, must connect with one another during many different rituals. It helps fuse the souls. Bring them together. Have you ever heard of soul mates?" asked Angela

"Yes. A myth about lovers whose souls are intertwined." He said. "Like destiny."

"Well they do exist. It is a natural phenomena created out of love when the two souls know to join. It is the strongest bond on earth, or in heaven or in hell. The two souls are a part of eachother and through the years, being an angel I have watched soul mates find eachother over and over again. It is a powerful force." She said before pausing. Angela got up and removed the book on angels from the stand where Abe had been reading it and sat down again, skimming the pages. " The ritual Rasputin wants to perform is designed to recreate that bond between him and myself. It would allow him to have my soul. But duplicating soul mates is a twisted and dark thing, it is the most violating and forbidden thing to do to another. It steels the essence, the very being. It will transform us both." She said.

"How will it transform you?" Asked Abe.

"It is said that I will become a husk of my former self or that I will become evil, but nothing is known for certain, there are so many theories on what will happen to each of us. Some say the ritual will create goodness in Rasputin's soul with the addition of my own. Others say it will make the evil that he embodies stronger and he will become an even more powerful demon." She closed the book and stared at Abe for a moment, thinking about the horrors of what could happen. "Nothing is known for certain."

Abe looked at her and placed his other webbed hand on the glass. "You are afraid."

It was clear how scared she was, and with good reason he thought. He was surprised at how stoic she had remained over the last two days but inside he could sense how terrified she truly was.

In his heart Abe knew if Rasputin wanted to have her he would haven no trouble, even with in the BPRD. He had read about Rasputin, he was a demon of terrible power and deception. If there was any way to stop this from happening, Abe knew he had to find it fast.

Abe had seen a lot of demons, a lot of battles, but for the first time he questioned weather they would be able to win this time, Hellboy might not be able to defeat this enemy.

"Thank you Angela, this had been a great help. I will do every thing I can." He said.


	9. bridge over troubled waters

After her talk with Abe Angela felt fear begin creeping into her heart, she could feel herself becoming smaller and smaller as she headed back to her room.

It had not been easy to keep these feelings at bay but it was even harder now that she had spoken the truth to Abe. The things she had been denying to herself were now out in the open and she could not from them.

"Angela." A voice called from the doorway.

She jumped at the sound but turned to see Manning standing there. "Angela I know it's nearly midnight but you are needed in the medical bay." He said.

"Alright I will be right there." She said. She took a breath in, trying to gather herself before entering the room.

Hours past and Manning had her do test after test. Tests to test her strength, blood tests. Respiratory tests. But most of all tests of her flight.

"That was good, now can you do it again please." He said through a loud speaker to Angela who was lifting fifty-pound weights and flying them over to the other side of there room. She had electrodes all over her body to sprint out readings of her body as she performed the tasks. This was the thirty-second time she would be doing this.

"Look at this." Said Broom as he surveyed some x rays of Angela's body. "See this Mr. Manning," he said pointing to her chest. "She has three lungs, fascinating, her heart is enlarged and her ventricles number thousands more than a human her size. This is how she supplies the needed blood flow to her wings." He said. "Notice here, she has a cardiovascular capacity unlike any I have ever seen, so that she can remain in flight for hours at a time. I wouldn't be surprised if she could hold that fifty-pound weight in the air for twenty four hours straight." he said staring again at Angela as she did her task yet again. "My god, I wonder how long she can hold her breath?" he said to himself.

"That's a good idea, we should test that." said Manning. He turned to the loud speaker again. "That's fine Angela, could you come back up here please." He said.

"Now, wait it was just a passing comment, she has been up for almost twenty four hour straight, it is three in the morning, I don't think this is safe." Said Broom.

"Good, then we can test how she does with sleep deprivation." He said as he called for the Agents to come forward as Angela started up the steps beck to where Broom and Manning were.

"I must insist against this, she is not a test animal, we are practically keeping her prisoner here as it is. We cannot push her like this, it is to risky, she could…" Said Broom again in protest.

"…Could what professor." Said Manning with anger. "Die! Listen Trevor, this is not something we can wait on, we need to know her weaknesses and her strengths. I have let you and Abe try with research for long enough. Its time to take action." He stopped and lowered his voice, calming himself. "If you and Abe don't find anything more for us to work with, I will be forced to take matters into my own hands. The fate of the world is at stake here and the responsibility has been given to us to protect it. I consider one life a justified sacrifice against the billions that would die otherwise. Make no mistake, I will not hesitate twice to kill her myself if the need arises." He said.

Professor broom was silent, he knew he would not get anywhere with Manning now. A part of him was furious at the heartlessness of Manning's words but another part knew they were true, and he wondered. If the world were at stake would he be able to kill Angela to save it?

Angela entered the room and Broom pulled himself from his thoughts to address her. "We want to see how long we can hold your breath under water?"

She smiled and nodded. She was exhausted but did not complain. Just keep thinking about how nice your bed will feel when this is all over. She thought.

Three hours later Angela was holding her breath underwater in Abe's tank.

"I don't believe I have ever had a guest before." he kept on saying as he swam around her.

He had said that same thing about ten times and had she been able to speak she would have told him it has stopped being funny two hours earlier.

"How long has she been holding her breath?" asked Broom.

"2 hours 46 minutes and 6 seconds," said Manning as he sat in a velvet chair at the desk.

Broom tapped on the tank and gave her a thumb up and thumbs down signal, asking how she was doing.

She responded in kind with a thumb up. But then began waving her hands at him.

"What does she want?" asked Manning.

"I don't know."

"She says she is fine but that her hands are all wrinkly, and she has to pee." Said Abe. He immediately swam in front of her with concern. "Don't pee in here. I have to breath this stuff." He said.

Angela looked at him as though he was crazy for even suggesting it.

"Manning I think this has gone on quite enough, she has been in there long enough, we can continue to marrow but we are all tired and I am certain she is hungry." Said Broom.

"No, she can handle this." He responded.

Broom looked as though he was going to blow a gasket.

"Hey what's going on?" Said Red as he walked in the room looking as though he had just come from a battleground. He looked around at Manning and his father and then saw Angela in the tank who waved hello with an expression of annoyance as Abe chattered in her direction about the dangers of inhaling urine.

"So…um…what are you doing." He said very matter of fact.

Broom opened his mouth to speak but Abe interrupted him, now finished with his chattering to Angela. "She wants to go to bed, she says she could hold her breath longer but asks if you could just start again tomorrow." Said Abe.

"Yes." Said Broom. "That would be fine."

"No." responded Manning with agitation. "Stay in the tank."

Angela looked at him and though She was tired, nodded her head telling Manning she would stay.

Hellboy sighed, and shook his head. "You people are nuts, im goin to bed, expect my report in the morning." He said as he headed out the door. He Gave Angela one last glance, thinking silently to himself how nice it was to see her again even from between a piece of glass.

Hellboy headed to his room, rubbing the bandages that covered his arm and hand. These creatures had been rough.

Once there he plopped down on the sofa and took his tattered jacket off. What a night he had been through. Three of these damned monsters that seemed like they would never die.

Twice he had to save Myers from their jaws.

That kid was more trouble than he was worth sometimes.

The image of Angela on the team made his skin crawl. He thought about how many times he might have to get her out of trouble, but then again he had never expected the skill she had with a sword he thought to himself. So anything was possible. Perhaps he was underestimating her.

He didn't know if she would have been ready for the fight tonight or not.a smile crossed his face. he knew that with the training he would give her in the weeks to follow she would be ready for anything.

She would have to be ready, he supposed. It was either that or death. The smile quickly faded as he thought about the situation she was in. what he might have to do.

Hellboy was a practical guy. Not to good with expressing himself, he defiantly lacked subtlety, he was big and mean at times and much of himself he kept at a distance from the rest of the world, shadowed by the sarcasm, by the skepticism, by the brassiness.

And it was because all of these things were such a part of whom he was, that he was so bewildered at how quickly they took a back seat when she smiled at him.

He was never unsure, and always brutally truthful. But with her he was for the first time in his life, weak and uncertain, his heart beat faster. His words seemed tied in knots and flowed like water all at the same time. He was tender in a way that he knew was the most natural he had ever felt and yet had never before experienced. As though they had known each other all their lives.

This was new territory for him. He thought, as he got up and looked at himself in the mirror, looking at a cut on his forehead.

He glanced at the cut and then backed up for a moment Nope, nothing had changed; he was still big and red.

A scowl appeared on his face as he began filing his horns. Not the face of don Juan for sure.

Once finished he began getting ready for bed.

"You wont think about her anymore tonight." He said to himself as he bent down to feed the cats. But for some reason he knew he probably would.

Angela meanwhile was just getting out of the tank, finally, it hadn't been to long after Hellboy had left that she could no longer hold her breathe and while Manning was going on and on about how he wanted to do it again tomorrow to test her when she hadn't been up for nearly twenty four hours, Angela's mind kept drifting off to Rasputin.

She headed off to her room and all the while felt some presence with her. She knew in the back of her mind that it was her fears playing tricks on her, but they seemed real enough.

She had been stalked and hunted for nearly thirty years. No weapons, no advantage over the stronger beasts. But she had still survived, and though it didn't show on the outside, there was a part of her that would be brutal and fierce if backed into a corner. She knew the most efficient way to snap a dragon's neck, stop a welrogs heart or kill a blog demon. She had been killing and running for nearly thirty years. She was so exhausted, so tired of running and fighting for her life. And now it was even harder. A creature that moved in predictable patterns wasn't stalking her. this was a highly intelligent, ruthless force of destruction. If the evil resonating from his servant was any indication of his power she couldn't imagine how she would be strong enough to fight it. It was evil unlike anything she had ever even come close to experiencing in hell. How could he be so powerful? It didn't seem possible. But from what she had heard of the ritual it would take a far greater evil to successfully perform it than any she or any angel she knew had ever encountered.

Angela tried to push the thoughts and fears in the back of her mind as she stepped into her apartment.

Yet as she settled into her room and got ready for bed a very real fear began to settle in her chest. It twisted its way around until she realized she had dropped the mug of cocoa in her hand and was shaking with from head to toe.

She went quickly to the bathroom to take a shower. She turned on the water and leaned with both hands over the sink staring at herself in the mirror. "You are alright." She said to herself. "Be… brave, be brave," she said. But she could feel herself shaking inside.

She took off her cloths and stepped in the shower, the steamy water running down her body.

She fought back the tears as she washed her hair and ran the soapy water everywhere.

Then turning off the water toweled herself off and changed into a pair of flannel shorts and a large t-shirt with two elastic holes in them for her wings.

She felt cold as a draft filled the room. She was so scared, why wouldn't this feeling go away. She closed her eyes. "There is no one here but you, just chill out,"

Maybe, if she got some sleep, maybe if she could just close her eyes and stop thinking about him, Rasputin, she could find some strength.

This was ridiculous, she was never like this, and had learned that death was nothing to be afraid of.

But then A sudden realization came to her that it was not death she feared. It was ushering in the end of the world. This was bigger than her, this was Armageddon.

Angela puffed out and shivered her feathers, getting all the extra water out of them. Then she drew back the sheets and blanket and snuggled down in them. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. The room was dark, and Angela heard a noise. She sat up quickly and looked around. In the corner, she saw a man standing in the darkness.

She jumped out of bed, with her blanket. She ran to the front door but forgot the sofa was in the way and ran into it. Then scrambling back up she ran to the Garden door, swung it open and ran over to Hellboy's door. She banged on it as hard as she could. "HB." She yelled.

He didn't answer. She banged on the door again and yelled for him. "RED!!"

He still didn't answer so she grabbed the door and rushed in.

"iwastakingashowerandthenigotdressedbutasiwenttobediheardanoiseandthereamaninmyroom." She said as she wildly flew her hands about her as she told him about the man in her room.

But just as suddenly as she had burst through his door she gasped and her face turned a bright red as she whipped around to stair at the wall. "Y-your naked!" she said with embarrassment.

Hellboy was standing with a towel around his neck. Drying himself off after a shower.

"Uh, yeah," he said as he dropped the towel and began frantically trying to put his night pants on. He mistook the right leg for the left and fell over before putting them on correctly and pulling his pants up all the way. He stood up once more and scratched the back of his head. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his hand mortified. Trying to think of anything to say that would alleviate even a fraction of the uncomfortable tension in the room.

"O-ok you can turn around." he said. he couldn't think of anything.

"You know, um, t-that's ok, I-I um can…um talk to you tomorrow." She said in a half shaking half mortified voice.

her face was still bright red. She still had her eyes closed as she felt around for the door, she found it and grabbed the knob, opening it quickly and stumbling out with the huge blanket still clenched in her hands. leaving Hellboy wondering what just happened. She was a ball of nerves at this point, shaking all over uncontrollably. Her heart was pounding both from fear and embarrassment. But as she took a few steps toward her room she eyes the swinging door and stopped. Everything was dark, and she could only make out the outline of the pathway.

She started down it again, clutching the blanket more tightly and breathing heavily.

Each step was more and more frightening. The air became cold for no seeming reason and she could suddenly see her breath in front of her. She stopped dead in her tracks. What was going on?

A wind blew out of nowhere and her hair flew back behind her. it was a strong gust and as she turned to go back in the other direction a harsh, deep, and terrible noise filled her ears, its far off sound became closer and closer until she felt it was right behind her. "You can not escape."

She whirled around to see who was there but met only another harsh gust of wind and the same terrible noise that had sprung from it the voice. Her heart lurched in her chest as she felt the evil it carried with it, the same that she had felt before, the most terrible.

She wasted not another moment to kick up dirt from beneath her feet as took off, flying low against the grown faster than she ever had before away from the noise. Her heart beating fast and furiously. The air was pitch black and she looked behind her, certain she would find someone following.

"OOF," she flew straight into someone.

She looked up to find Hellboy standing there looking confused. "um.. are you alri…"

Angela grabbed hold of him. Grateful to find him.

"What's wrong?" asked Hellboy. Angela was shaking, she looked terrified.

She looked up at him. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she said. "I am not usually like this, things just don't get to me like this, I am usually stronger than this, more courageous, but I… I don't know…this is different somehow…"

"Of course you can." He said, he didn't need an explanation. He didn't need her to tell him she wasn't weak, he knew she was strong. He knew also how scary things could get. He knew that bravery was not about always being able to do it alone, it was about being able to admit you are scared and need help. Something he had never been brave enough to do.

"Come on, I will make the sofa up for you." he said with a smile.

Once inside Hellboy took her blanket and a few extra pillows from his bed and formed a comfy bed on the couch/truck.

"I feel like I'm going insane ya know, and everything is so dark. My mind has been playing tricks with me for a few days and I am just so terrified that I am going to turn a corner, open a door, and he will be there, this is driving me nuts, just sitting here waiting for him." She said as she crawled in the bed eh had made or her.

"He can't, get you here, I have told you. This place is far to well protected."

But she shook her head, "you don't understand, Rasputin is the most powerful evil I have ever felt."

Hellboy sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her. "He can't getcha. He wont, I promise." He said

Angela looked up at him. His hair was still wet, just as hers was. His black hair hung about his face and neck and he looked so handsome.

Hellboy could feel her still shaking, and he hugged her more tightly.

His warm grasp was comforting and slowly she could feel herself coming down from the fear. He moved beside her so she could lean on him and kept his grasp on her.

"Come on birdie, let's get your mind off this." He said turning on some cartoons for them to watch. "Try to sleep."

The cartoons were soothing over the next several hours and though she couldn't seem to shake the sense that things were not going to be alright, her fear slowly faded away in his presence, Until there was none left and she drifted off to sleep.

Hellboy loomed over her long after she had been sleeping peacefully. Her fears may have been gone, but his unspoken ones were with him all the time. He could understand why she was afraid. He was afraid also. And no matter how he tried, he could not convince himself things were going to work out. He peered at her as she slept. An angel from Hell, nothing made sense anymore. She was so beautiful, so at peace. Even when she was afraid, they way she moved, that way she talked, even the way her hair swayed, all exuded the message that she had once inhabited heaven.

She was not human, her human features, though so like a humans were also as far from earthly as they could get. It was an ironic twist of fate he thought. That she could look so human and yet at a glance could be recognized as something other than human. Anyone could see it. It wasn't a certain way she looked or a particular feature that set her apart, though the wings were a dead give away, it was something in her presence, something that he could feel when she walked into a room. Something everyone could pin her as an angel.

He wondered then, that with such angelic qualities, how much of her had been changed in Hell, and what made that change the one thing that Rasputin could use in his ritual.

He looked down at her again, moving a strand of hair from her face. As he looked at her he thought for a moment what he would do without her, how would he go on. Knowing he had once seen her smile, touched her face, held her hand, how would he continue on with his life if she should be killed.

Hellboy up to this point had told himself time after time that the reason he could never kill her or see her come to harm was because he cared for her so much. But now looking at her so close another more selfish reason crossed his mind. If anything were to happen to her, it would be as though a knife had cut his heart, he could never survive such an attack. He would die.


	10. frightful weather

The cartoons continued on and the hours passed, and though exhausted from the hours he had been up and fighting, Hellboy stayed awake, lying next to Angela.

"Good morning!"

"Wha…" Hellboy awoke slowly as agent Myers walked into his room with breakfast.

"Ah..Man..Don't you ever knock." He said as he stretched out and sat up in his bed.

"I have been knocking for an hour, no one answered." He said.

"Hay, Myers its kinda cold in here why don't we kick the AC off the floor a little." Said Hellboy.

Myers looked at him and rolled his eyes. "That's a long story, notice the get up." he said bringing Hellboy's attention to the huge jacket and layers of clothing he had on. "The AC is going haywire, they entire BPRD is under thirty degrees." He said. "They have been trying to fix the problem for hours now."

Hellboy looked over at Angela who was curled up in covers so much that the only part of her still visible was her hair, which draped down over the edge. Nearly all the cats were curled up all around her.

"She must be freezing." Said Myers as he followed Hellboys gaze over to the couch.

"Here," he said tossing Hellboy some extra blankets. "There might come in handy, all the live in staff are getting them, but we had these made extra large and I think one of them is an electric blanket, special for you.." he said

Hellboy caught the folded Blankets; they were huge, and fluffy, very warm. "Thanks Myers, but you know I don't feel cold very much." He said a bit bewildered that they would give him extra blankets at all.

"Yeah I know, it was actually Abe's idea, he read somewhere that Angels are susceptible to cold. And hay, her door was blocked by furniture, I knew she would be here." he said with a smile.

"So these are actually meant for her." Hellboy said, making certain he understood.

Myers smiled, "yep."

"Thanks." He said.

Myers delivered the food and headed for the door. "Oh and one last thing, Manning wants us all in the conference room at two o'clock." He said.

"Right, got it." said Hellboy.

Red glanced over to the clock. It was 1:00. Damn, he had to be ready in an hour.

He stood up and walked as softly over to Angela as he could. Trying not to awaken her. He placed a hand on the bundle of blankets that she was under. It was cold.

Smiling slightly he unfolded the blankets Myers had handed him and covered her with them. Then he lifted the blanket and peered under them at her.

"Hay kid,"

She stirred and stretched out her arm sleepily, searching with her hand for the blanket. She grabbed it from his hand and aggressively wrapped it once more around her. Snuggling back down in the sheets.

"Come on kid." Red said again, lifting the blanket once more. "Time to get up."

Without warning, a wing shot out from under the covers, stretching it self. It hit Red in the stomach and with surprising strength and force sent him tumbling over to the other side of the room. He doubled over and held his throbbing abs.

"I am so tired, can't we sleep later. Owww, I am so sorry." Said Angela as she sat up with the covers around her.

"That's fine." He said, with pain in his voice.

Immediately she snuggled back down in the covers. "It's freezing in here." she said with surprise. "No wonder I dreamt I was in a blizzard."

"There is something wrong with the AC. They are trying to fix it." Said Red getting gup and walking back over to her.

Angela stood from the couch with the blanket still wrapped around her. "its like winter in this room, how cold is it anyhow?" She said.

"Manning wants to see us in half an hour." Said Red. "I think Myers said it was in the thirties."

"Aren't you cold," Angela as her lips began to chatter.

Red walked up to her and wrapped another blanket about her shoulders. "Nah, the cold don't bother me," he said. "You can use my shower, u am certain the hot water still works." He said.

Angela smiled at him. Remembering how frightened she had been last night. But he had made it all seem so distant from where they were. The whole mess had, for a few hours at least, seemed only a far-off nightmare that's memory could no more harm her than he could.

Even in the aftermath of such vulnerability Angela felt no sense of shame, guilt, or weakness. There was no need for her to validate or diminish the terror that she had felt last night. She didn't need to tell him any excuse. It was simply a smile, and an understanding, patient look she received from him. One that told her she was not thought less of for revealing her…humanity. But in fact was respected for it.

"Birdie?"

Angela realized she had been staring at him as he was trying to hand her a towel and she quickly snapped herself out of her thoughtful expression.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"I said the shower is right over there, I can go over to your place and get some cloths for you if you like?"

Angela nodded and headed over to the shower.

Hellboy smiled and started for the door.

"Red." She said stopping and walking over to him.

"Yep."

Angela lifted her arm up behind his neck and pulled his face down to her while she stood on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks." She said heading back to the shower.

Red turned Red, and smiled as brightly as he ever had before. He turned with dazzled eyes and took the doorknob in hand, Swung it open, and fell out the door as he went, the smile still plastered across his face.

A few minutes later he was in her place. He looked around but saw no sign that anyone had been there. Had she imagined it?

The thought circled around in his head and he felt certain she had. Not that he could blame her. he would see things too if he were in her shoes.

He reached the inside of her bedroom and began rummaging through her closet. He never should have volunteered for this he thought as he went through racks of clothing.

There were more shirts; pants, skirts, jackets and everything in between than he knew could fit in a closet. Frustration began to build in him.

Finally giving up he took a huge swipe at the entire rack with his stone hand and brought all of it. He put the huge pile of cloths in one hand and walked to the drawers. Opening the top one he took a moment to mentally strangle himself for volunteering for this assignment once again. In the top drawer were lots of the garments usually kept in top drawers of woman's bedrooms. The entire thing was wall to wall…. women under garment thingies.

Hellboy groaned with agony as he looked the other way and began picking at the drawer with his fingers as though the contents were radioactive.

Finally without any success at actually picking one up he slammed the drawer shut with fury and picked the entire dresser up, tossing it on top of the cloths he had in his stone hand.

Then he whirled around and thought about what else she might need. Hell if he knew. He looked around, once in the bathroom and twice on the kitchen, searching for any sign of things that looked used over and over again.

Aha, a toothbrush. YES! Hellboy mentally rewarded himself for his ingenious thinking as he used his tail to grab her toothbrush and toothpaste from the counter. Boy he was smart. Then taking one last look around the room he headed out the door into the living room.

The furniture was moved over to the door and Hellboy rolled his eyes. If agents had burst into his room while he was sleeping he would put a sofa in front of the door to. Well…he probably wouldn't. He would just freak them out so much they would never want to come back to his room again. But the point was that he could understand her frustration.

Heading out the door he walked, huge pile in hand, over to his door. It was at this time that he really appreciated this little forest Angela had grown, it was so beautiful.

He reached his door and lifted his hand to knock on it. But a second later remembered what had happened the last time she had knocked on his door. The whole naked thing.

A hint of embarrassment crossed his mind.

He didn't want to repeat that again…he thought it over for a moment weighing the pros and cons of warning her he was coming in. Well, in truth this was his room, and he shouldn't have to knock. He decided against it and just barged in. no, he wasn't secretly hoping to catch her in the buff…honest. Hellboy was just being…practical.

Walking in he heard the shower going; she obviously hadn't heard him come in because as soon as he set the clothes down he heard her singing buddy Clark, a singer from the early forties. Her voice echoed around the room, and Hellboy smiled as he heard her sing.

"HAY BIRDIE, I GOT YOU SOME THING, WHEN YOUR DONE YOU CAN COME OUT HERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THEM." He yelled in to her.

She stopped singing abruptly and then he heard a thug. "o-ok, thanks."

He laughed, knowing she thought he couldn't hear her and probably slipped from the surprise. "Hay, you alright." He yelled to her. "Anything hurt."

"Uh huh," he heard from the bathroom, "my pride."

Hellboy turned to his own dresser and picked out some pants and a shirt. Quickly slipping them on before another embarrassing moment could befall either of them.

Moments later Angela appeared from the bathroom. The towel draped around her body.

She stared in awe at the massive pile of clothes that met her gaze. "I see you brought a selection." She said with a great smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah, thought you would want to pick it out yourself." He said.

Angela laughed slightly and held the towel tightly around her body. She was so cold.

She walked over to the pile and picked out some clothing then opened the drawer and picked out some underwear.

Hellboy amused himself with his cat muffins while she was in the bathroom changing.

"I bet you never have trouble with women like this." He commented to the cat as it purred under his touch.

A moment later Angela stepped out of the bathroom wearing a black sweater and dark navy jeans. She wore a huge jacket over the sweater with a long purple scarf and hat that covered her ears.

Hellboy laughed as she walked out, she looked like an Eskimo, all bundled up.

"What…" said Angela, knowing what he was laughing at. "I am just cold." She said.

Hellboy stopped himself and tried with all his power to remove the grin from his face but failed miserably.

Angela walked out the door with Hellboy behind her as they headed for the conference room.

"Did Myers say what Manning wanted?" asked Angela.

"Nah, but I would bet good money it has something to do with business, either with the monsters, or your tests, or the ritual." the last words slid off his tongue and Hellboy knew he shouldn't have mentioned them as Angela's face turned from care free to the beginnings of panic.

They continued to walk and Hellboy placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "If Manning is bringing us here to tell us something not serious or smile proof, ill pay you a dollar." He said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Angela smiled. "Ill hold you to that." she said,

A moment late they were with Manning who unsurprisingly looked as though he had bad news to deliver. Professor Broom sat in the chair next to Manning's and both he and Hellboy avoided glances. Abe stood to the right, leaning against the wall.

"We are waiting for Myers and Clay then we can get started." Said Broom, standing up.

Angela and Hellboy both stood to the left of the room, while the entire group silently waited for Myers and clay.

Hellboy kept his grasp on Angela's shoulder, who took long deep breaths, afraid of the outcome of there meeting.

Had they found out something more about the ritual? Was it bad news? And if it was were they going to divulge everything in front of everyone?

Her heart beat faster and Angela tried to think about something else as Myers and Clay walked into the room.

"Ah, ok, now that everyone is assembled Hellboy would you be so kind as to debrief us all on the events of last nights mission, how did it go? No casualties I see." Said Manning,

"The mission was pretty straight forward, kill the Sammy's that were last reported seen on Brook Street." He said stepping forward. "They were hard, kept on regenerating, but we got em, lured em to a warehouse, they were fried in a fire." He said. "End of story"

"We have a report now of seven more of these creatures in the downtown area." Said Manning, "we don't know where they are coming from." he said.

"These demons can reproduce at a rapid rate. I am not surprised they would have laid eggs before you got there." Interrupted Angela.

Everyone turned their attention to her as she continued, "they are also A sexual, meaning they can reproduce without a mate."

"Where's the fun in that." said Hellboy.

"It is a very effective way of population a region with thousands of demons in a very short period of time." she said. "But something bothers me about this whole situation. Samaielle was captured in a reliquary. He could not have escaped." She said.

"What are you saying." Said Clay.

"Someone had to release him purposefully. He has been set free for a reason, make no mistake." She said.

"Why would someone release him on purpose, he seems to be nothing more than a monster, he has no real strategy." Said Myers

"A distraction perhaps." Said Broom. "This could all be tied in with Rasputin."

"Or a way to kill Hellboy and thereby remove all obstacles to Rasputins goal." Said Manning as he stared as Angela.

"I don't care why its here. How do we kill It?" said Hellboy.

"We are working on that." said Abe.

Hellboy rolled his eyes, a lot of good 'working on it' was.

"Even angels never found out how, certain types of heat can kill it but we could ultimately only bind him in the salt of our tears." Said Angela.

"No matter, Hellboy, you are going out again and this time kill them all, we don't have time to wait any longer on this. You will head out in six hours, that's when we will have the equipment defrosted. Which brings me to the next order of business… The AC is still broken and it looks like it is going to get colder, now I know we are all miserable with this temperature, but be patient. If it reaches past a certain point we will have to relocate to another facility." Said Manning. "For health reasons. But we are looking into the problem and don't anticipate it will come to that."

Hellboy scoffed, he didn't want to go out on another mission again, but knew he would have to.

"Angela, we are taking advantage of the cold in here and are going to run all your drills without weather protection, got It." he said, "ok, that's it people, and good luck." He finished getting up and replacing his glasses.

Angela looked shocked; she was freezing as it was. She really didn't want to take the coat off.

Everyone began piling out of the room and as he exited, Angela pulled Manning aside.

"Mr. Manning, I understand the need for research into my abilities, but the cold is something I don't do well with. I have asked this organization for very little and have put up with a great deal without complaint while I have been here including being shot at." She said with a stern voice. "Not to mention the one thing I have asked for…information about my daughter, has thus far been ignored. So I would really appreciate it if you would hold off on testing my in the cold, I can tell you without performing any tests that I will be useless." She said.

Her voice was assertive and yet had some sense of pleading in it as she spoke. Angela had always disliked the cold; it reminded her of Germany, of her husband and the day she received news of his death. It had been a hard last couple of days and she didn't think she could take another blow now.

Manning searched her eyes. He could see she was hurting, he was not unfeeling towards her, and understood her request was very important and as much as it pained him to put her through these tests he knew they might give them the edge they needed to defeat Rasputin when the time came.

"Im sorry, we must proceed," he said, he strained to get the words out of his mouth.

Angela sighed. Shit. She really didn't want to do this.

Hellboy glanced at her. Seeing the distress in her eyes.

She followed Manning to the training yard where she took off the jacket, scarf, hat and sweater until she wore only a tank top and her jeans. She gritted her teeth and felt ready, building confidence in herself.

For the next two hours she went through all the combat and weapons, training she had the day before. She learned more about knives and taught the staff a thing of two about the swords. It came time for the guns training and Hellboy more than once wrapped himself unnecessarily around her to warm her up.

"Slowly now," he said as he steadied her grip. "Ease up on the trigger." He said again, this time rubbing her arms to warm them. As she aimed the weapon at the target.

"ya know if Manning sees you he's gonna yell at you. He wants this experiment to be an endurance test. See how I do in the cold alone." she said with a smile. Grateful he was warming her up.

Hellboy smiled at her and then peered at manning. He looked as though he was going to say something classically insulting about the man. "Aww. Shows how much he knows. he should know better…." He said before turning to look at her again. He got closer to her, so she could feel the heat from his face. "…Than to think you would ever be left out in the cold alone." he whispered to her as he warmed her shoulders.

Another two hours went by and Angela did every kind of test imaginable. From endurance, to strength, she performed Arial acrobatics, weight lifting while flying, everything in the book to see how much and how hard they could push her before she would crack.

By the end of the fourth hour without a jacket, or even a sweater on in thirty degree weather Angela could no longer feel her hands. so it was with great relief when Manning told her she would only have one more short test to perform, before they were through for the day.

Minutes later they were in the testing room where a huge tank of freezing water rested.

"In this experiment we are going to see how your body responds to cold water submersion. A normal human can withstand three minutes before the blood freezes up and they die." said Broom as he cleaned his glasses. "But your bones are nearly hollow like that of a birds, aiding in your flight, and therefore your body may succumb to this more quickly. However, your natural body temperature is at least three degrees higher than a humans and your circulatory system is much more complex so who knows how your body will respond." He said holding up some wires.

"Have you read that Angels are more vulnerable to cold." She said.

"Yes, which is why we will be connecting these electrodes to your body to monitor your heart and circulation during the procedure, don't worry my dear, you will be perfectly safe." He said.

Angela sighed and began to undress, until she wore only her undergarments.

Broom placed the wires to her and she climbed the latter to get into the pool.

"What the hell are you doing!!?" yelled Hellboy as he entered the room.

"This is unacceptable you get out of here." yelled Manning.

"Damned right unacceptable," Hellboy responded. "Its thirty degrees and you want to put her in a vat of water that's freezing." He yelled.

"Its only an experiment, she will be fine." Said Abe.

"Then you get in the tank, I bet you wouldn't last thirty minutes." He said walking up and touching the water. It was cold, real cold.

Angela grasped his hand. "Red, its alright, you don't have to defend me." She said.

"But,,"

"I will be fine." She interrupted him.

"Its only for a few minutes," she said. Angela was so cold, colder than she ever had been in her life, as she stood there in her underwear.

Without another word she dipped into the water. Yawza!! the water stung at her like knives as she submerged herself completely. Her body began to shake violently as the cold hit her. She tucked herself into a ball unconsciously and held her shoulders with her hands.

"She is freezing, get her out of there." Said Hellboy as he saw her body shake and her lips chatter.

Her heart rate shot up, as the beeps on the monitor were closer together. "She is alright, this is a natural reaction to these temperatures. The body shivers and tires to produce as much heat as possible and then slowly the shivering stops on the limbs as the body abandons the effort to heat them and focuses on the heart and organs. Then Hypothermia sets in and eventually the heart stops as the chest and midsection stop." Said Broom.

"oh well that's comforting" said Hellboy sarcastically.

"Oh, of course. We will take her out before Hypothermia" Said Broom looking seriously at Manning. "Right, Mr. Manning."

"Uh..Yes of course." he responded.

The minutes went by slowly, and Hellboy looked at his watch a thousand times, feeling that for certain they were longer than usual. One minute, and Angela's arms and legs stopped shivering. Not a good sign as her heart rate slowed down.

But she gave thumbs up nonetheless.

At two minutes Hellboy panicked for a moment when Angela closed her eyes. He was about to reach in and smash the tank open if necessary when her wings began to flap underwater. Her heart rate came up a small bit.

"Fascinating." Gasped Broom as he peered at the monitors and then at Angela.

"What, what's going on." Said Manning.

The water in the tank sloshed around as her wings beat furiously.

"She is compensating for the cold in her blood by producing heat through her wings." He looked again at the tank like he had just found the formula for astrophysics. "She was storing warmth in her wings for when she needed it, she could last another…three minutes in there, a new record." He said with wonder in his eyes.

Another minute went by and Hellboy began to loose his worry, she looked like she would be fine. She was alert and staring at them, a small smile crossed his face and she smiled at him through the glass. He tried to look her only in the face. And kept on reminding himself not to stair at her nearly naked body. But he had to admit she was the sexiest woman he had ever seen.

He looked down at his watch, another thirty seconds and she would have been in the tank for six minutes. Was his watch working, that couldn't be right, distracted he tapped his stone hand on the dial, and heard a long high-pitched noise through the room.

"Oh my god." Gasped Manning as he practically jumped to the top of the tank and reached his hand down into it. "I can't reach her." he yelled.

Angela floated down to the bottom of the tank without any sign of life.

Hellboy ran and jumped to the top and dove down into it with his whole upper body, his legs hanging off the side. He grabbed her and pulled her up out of the water.

"Here, give her here." said Broom as Hellboy laid her on the floor.

"Did her monitor come off?"

"Is she breathing?"

Broom searched for the heart monitor on her chest. As Abe searched for a heart beat. Broom found the wire that had been connected to her chest and stuck it back on her. "She's breathing." He said as a faint slow pulse sounded in the room.

"We have to warm her up quickly." He said "I have some portable heaters I can plug in, but they are at my office."

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CONTINGANCY PLAN IF THIS HAPPENED!" yelled Hellboy.

"Manning run to my office, get the heaters. You can carry them two at a time." said Broom frantically.

"What will happen if we don't warm her up?" asked Hellboy.

"Brain damage. Coma, death." He said.

"CRAP!!" yelled Hellboy As he scooped her up and rushed out the door. "Tell Manning to bring the heaters to my room." he said as he ran out the door.

He rushed down the hallway. Angela's face was white, and blue. She was ice cold and dripping wet.

He didn't know much about hypothermia but the last he checked the hot water heaters were working just fine.

He swung open his door and jumped over the mountain of cloths, papers, and cats that lay riddled around his room as he headed for the bathroom. Then turning on the hot water he held he close and felt for it to warm up. A second later it was hot and he stepped inside with her, allowing the hot steaming water to run down both their bodies.

"Come on kid." He said as he moved some hair from her face. She was still white and lifeless and had he not known otherwise Hellboy would think she was dead.

He moved his stone hand touching her face. He felt the cold from her skin and moved his hand to her shoulder. He rubbed her shoulder with his hand. Trying to generate some heat under his touch. He continued for a few minutes and felt no change in her.

His heart raced faster as panic started to build. He picked her up more and held her close to him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "Come on Birdie." He whispered to her. "Wake up."

Steam rose from the bath as he spoke draping him in water. "Birdie." He whispered again. But she remained limp and lifeless.

Broom and Abe came into the bathroom. Abe stepped forward and placed a Hand on her heart.

Hellboy looked at him, searching his face for any sign of his findings.

"She is alive." He said. " Her heart beat is very slow, dangerously slow."

He backed away, knowing there was nothing more he could do.

Hellboy looked at his father.

"Will she be alright?" asked Hellboy.

Broom heard his son speak, his voice filled with a pain he though he would never hear from his Hellboy. Broom shook his head. "Here." he said Handing Hellboy the wire so they could monitor her heart. "Abe and I brought the equipment, and if in the next half hour her heart rate increases she should be fine." He said.

Manning and Abe walked in carrying the heaters. They set them up in silence, filling the small bathroom with them.

They laid out at least twenty blankets on the counter near Hellboy. "the water heater wont work forever. These will help."

"I thought you said she had a few minutes. What the hell happened?" asked Hellboy as the hot water beat down on them.

"That was quick thinking with the water son, I think you may have saved her life." He said, ignoring his son's question.

"Answer the question father."

Broom sighed.

"I will have to review the data but, it appears the energy it took to warm her body with her wings was only a swift temporary solution and could only delay the inevitable."

" Which was what? Why was it so abrupt, she was fine just a few seconds ago." Asked Hellboy.

"Her bones are nearly hollow, like that of a birds, the effect of the cold acts similar to a birds body. The circulatory system is so complex that hypothermia set in all at once." Said Broom, "I should have seen that this would happen." He said. "We never intended to keep her in there long enough for there to be any real risk, it just all happened so fast."

"Well no more of this, no more tests, how much more do you want to put her through." Said Hellboy.

Manning looked away, as guilt crept through his chest. A sour pain. He backed away and turned leaving the room.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Hellboy. "Just get out." He said.

Broom approached him and placed a hand on his son's arm. Hellboy looked away from him. He had never known his father to be a cruel man. But the BPRD had shown nothing but its most deceptive side since Angela had arrived. He considered this place his home, filled with the only people who had ever treated him with any semblance of respect and humanity. He thought all were welcome here, all the 'freaks' all of the unique. But it was becoming painfully obvious that there was only acceptance for those unique individuals who served a purpose. Who posed no threat. It seemed like they were treating Angela more as one of the monsters they routinely sent Hellboy out to kill than one of their own, and it tore him up inside.

"Father, I can't talk to you now." He said with a sad voice.

Broom understood, he too was ashamed at the way they had treated her, and knew it would take a while for their rift to be healed. "Call me if her heart rate falls." He said. Pointing to the numbers on the monitor so Hellboy could see. Then he headed for the door.

"Professor, shouldn't we stay, what if something happens, what if…" said Abe. As he followed Broom and Manning out the door.

Professor Broom turned to Manning with an expression on his face that Manning had never seen before. " Mr. Manning, I have been working with the paranormal since before you were born." His face filled with anger, "and in all my years I have never seen such disrespect handed to anyone. You have badgered and toyed with that girl since the moment you got a hold of her like she were some sort of laboratory animal. It will not happen again. And I am ashamed to say I ever allowed It." he said. "Now leave her alone, we have done quite enough." he finished as they left and closed the door behind them.

Hellboy heard the door close and he sunk down to the tile floor of the shower. She was so cold, even in the midst of the steam that rose up from their bodies she was freezing.

He glanced over at the heart monitor. It was beating so slowly. But it wasn't slowing down. A good sign.

She lay on tip of him as he sat there running his hands through her wet hair.

The heaters were working well and the room sweltered. Hellboy could feel beads of sweat dripping from his brow but he never paid mind to them. Her head rested on his shoulder and he closed his eyes. There was nothing he wouldn't give to see her awake again. He lifted her from his shoulder, and turned off the water. The water heater was failing and he reached out to grab a bunch of blankets from the counter. He wrapped them around her. Draping their warmth over them both. The heaters were jammed in the tiny bathroom, heating the air around them.

The room was like a sauna damp from the steam and hot from the heaters and blankets. Hellboy closed his eyes once more and placed his stone hand on her head, stroking her hair. "Please wake up,"

How long had it been? He couldn't tell. The steam filled room was foggy and just as he peered at the monitors to see how she was doing Hellboy felt a hand wrap around under his chest under his arm. His eyes went wide and he sat up peering at her face. She was still pale and here eyes were closed but he made out a small word.

"Cold." She whispered as her teeth chattered and she tried to snuggle deeper into him and wrap the blankets around her more.

He was incredibly excited and grabbed all the rest of the fuzzy blankets to wrap around her as much as possible. He didn't car if he was burning up, as he laid every blanket over every inch of her.

They looked like a mound of dirty laundry as so many blankets were placed over them.

Hellboy closed his eyes, and snuggled down with her. Then opened his eyes again. "His was all a big ploy to sleep later wasn't It." he whispered top her with a smile before closing his eyes again and holding her tight.

I know this chapter was kind of boring but it sets up the scene for the next chapter. And Hold onto your hats people, the next chapters are going to really take off in the action. Romance, plot twists and everything else we love about HB.

Also I know Angela's character is getting a lot of Mary sue, damsel in distress feeling about her. But never fear. There is a reason for this and it will become an important tool in her characters development. I am all for women taking care of themselves and being competent and all of that, so just hang tight, it will all be explained as the story develops.


	11. and here we go

Hellboy opened his eyes slowly. He felt a weight on his chest and he looked down to see Angela lying there. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing was heavy and raspy and her lips no longer held their blue color as before. Her skin was still pale and cool to the touch and she shivered. But he was filled with joy to see the life in her once more. He glanced over at the monitor and saw her heartbeat was strong and seemingly back to normal.

He must have fallen asleep, he thought as he looked around. Nothing had changed, but he knew he had been lying there a long time by the pain in his neck and the way his damp clothes clung to his body in the most uncomfortable way.

He felt Angela's breathing against his chest and bringing his hands around her he closed his eyes and embraced her tightly immersed in the movement of her chest as she inhaled and exhaled. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world; the feeling of life through her body.

He looked around and thought about moving. But the sweet feeling of her lying against him was to wonderful to tempt removing.

He leaned his head back again and was just about to close his eyes when he felt her stir.

She was awakening. She stretched and unconsciously moved to snuggle her head under his. She brought her arms up around his neck as though she had done it a hundred times before.

A smile came over his face as he intern closed his arms around her. Feeling her hair, now soft and dry against his palm.

She felt so natural with him like this and he sighed feeling the contentment of the moment. It was here that he felt peace like he had never known.

Did she also find such peace with him?

While in his arms she seemed happy, seemed without fear or worry.

Hellboy peered down at her. He searched her face for the contentment, peace, and happiness he now felt. Something that he knew could be spoken without words or expression, without movement or any indication other than the knowledge of what it felt like to express.

He lifted his stone hand and moved a strand of hair from her face and as he did it was so clear, he saw it.

It wasn't in her expression, or in her face, or even in her wondrous eyes which pierced all that they touched with love. It was in her whole self, the way she was positioned, curled around him for something more than just warmth. It was in the way her lips expressed the lightest of smiles and the way her hands caressed his skin so lightly and intimately that he gasped for breath. It was all of these things and so much more that he knew that in this moment she was at peace, at peace in a way he had never understood until now.

"Birdie." He whispered, a smile crossing his face that could not be wiped away.

She snuggled down into him more She felt just as he did, she was as in love with him as he was with her, he could feel it in the way she held him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head tenderly.

She moved under him and mumbled something he could not understand. She brought her arms around his head and with closed eyes lifted her head and kissed him, a long deep kiss that was filed somehow with both passion and gentleness.

Had he been able to he would have danced, or yelled, or even dare he think it, sang. As she held him captive in her kiss.

"Andy…" she whispered. As she released him and smiled, nuzzling against his neck in slumber once more.

The life seemed to drain from his body at that moment. And the smile was, like a watercolor caught in the rain, washed away with ruin as he felt his heart break with her unconscious words.

She thought he was her husband, she wasn't imagining him, she was thinking of her husband.

Stupid Hellboy, real stupid.

To think she could ever feel that way about him. He was a demon, the memory of her husband would always remain his unseen but ever present competition for her heart and his memory would always win. He was a ghost, only a fragmented character strung together by every happy moment she had ever shared with him. She would remember only the good times with him, and the daughter they had who's image would remain perfect for her. Andy would forever be shrouded in the heroic image she died thinking of him with.

And he could never live up to a man without flaws. Heck he looked in the mirror and saw ten flaws.

He closed his eyes tightly, placing his hand over his eyes. Stupid. Just so stupid.

He picked her up, blankets and all and headed out the bathroom to his bed. The cold air hit him as he left the sanctuary of the heated bathroom but he didn't seem to feel it. He pulled the sheets back and placed her in his bed. He arranged the blankets and covered her up before he gazed at her. Something inside his heart was drawn to her, and he could not deny it.

Hellboy wasn't a patient man. He wasn't delicate with anything. But for her he would wait a lifetime, never stop protecting her, never stop loving her and though it was never possible with anything else, with her he found his harshness to be no obstacle. For when he touched her he was naturally delicate when his fingers grazed across her skin. A thing, like so many others that he had never known before knowing her face.

Hellboy wandered into the bathroom, the thoughts marinating in his head. He looked back at the bed, seeing Angela snuggling down in the blankets and sheets and he smiled once more.

Having her with him was all that mattered. The rest would work itself out.

Hellboy turned back to his task of removing the heaters to move them into the bedroom. He glanced at the thermostat, it read 23 degrees and Hellboy wondered how the other team members were doing. He knew Myers was probably so covered in jackets that he couldn't move his arms. Manning, well he could care less about Manning right now. And his father…Hellboy rolled his eyes at the though and furrowed his brow, the nerve of his father.

Hellboy again glanced at Angela thinking of how much the BPRD had wronged her. How much his father had wronged her and lied to him, but then he looked down at a stray blanket that was draped over the counter and wondered if the old man was warm enough. He knew Broom got cold easily and no matter his frustration or their differences, broom was and always would remain his dad, he could not and never wanted to stop loving and caring about him.

"Hay, what time is It." he heard from a distinctly female and raspy voice.

Hellboy smiled and turned around to face her.

Revealed to him were only the slits of her eyes as the entire rest of her was covered in blankets.

He abandoned his task and walked to sit on the bed next to her.

"How are ya?"

"My head hurts but none the worse for wear." She said.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I, remember being in the tank, it was so cold, I could feel myself blacking out…then waking up here." she said.

Angela removed the blankets she had draped around her head, revealing the long locks of hair that framed her face. Her breath was clearly visible in the cold and though she had been through so much in a short time Hellboy found her more beautiful now than ever before.

He moved closer to her until he was sitting only a few inches from her. He lifted his stone hand and stroked her hair. Sadness came over him. How could he tell her how he felt, how terrified he had been when he thought she could die, how much he felt for her, how she helped him become a man he had always wanted to be. He couldn't, it wouldn't be fair to her. She still loved her husband and might never stop loving him. Hellboy didn't know if this meant his feelings would never be reciprocated but for now he was willing to wait to find out.

Angela looked down at the sheets and then up into his eyes, she opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted when the door to Hellboy's room was opened.

"Why the hell doesn't anybody knock around here." Said Hellboy getting up in frustration.

"Sorry," said Myers as entered the room. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Angela, its good to see you are feeling better." He said.

"Thank you John." She said as she pulled the covers up further over her shoulders.

"I uh, have something here you need to see." He said holding up a folder and walking over to her.

A flash of anxiety crossed her face as he approached the bed. She could tell it want good news as he handed her the folder.

She feared to open it. Was it about Rasputin? She didn't know how much worse the situation could get. She felt awful, she was freezing, her head hurt. Up until now every bad experience had come from the BPRD, every moment of fear was the result of something to do with them. She didn't want to hear anything more, she couldn't survive it. Without thinking she took hold of Hellboy's hand and handed the folder back to Myers.

"Would you read it to me please." She asked.

"It isn't a document Mrs. Shloble." He said as he opened the folder. "It is a picture."

He handed a picture the folder contained to her.

A small child, a toddler dressed in a white linen dress sat in the dirt, smiling as she smeared her face with cake from a plate, which rested on her lap.

"This is your great grand child." He said. " Her name is Caitlin Margaret, she is the daughter of Angela Katherine Phillips who is your grandchild." He said.

He waited a moment as Angela beamed and tears streamed down her face. "She is so beautiful."

Myers handed her another photo of an old woman and man. "This is your daughter, she never married but has been living with a man named Robert Beckman for over twenty five years. He is your grand daughters father. Your daughter has several degrees, one in philosophy, another in music and a third in quantum mechanics"

A bittersweet smile crossed Angela's face and tears fell from her eyes as she gazed at the picture. How happy they looked, and how much she had missed of life, of her family's life. The birth of her grand daughter, her daughter's graduation… so much.

"There is some bad news." He continued.

Angela had been so consumed in the unexpected pictures that she had almost forgotten about the bad news she knew would come.

"Your daughter has cancer." He said. "The doctors say she will die within the week." He said.

"My baby is dying?!" she said with disbelief.

She clasped her hand over her mouth dropping the pictures. She never expected this, and suddenly the thought of Rasputin was a welcome one. Her child was dying. She released Hellboy's hand and covered her face with them. "Oh God." She cried out.

Her mood suddenly shifted and she threw the covers back and jumped out of bed. Not caring how scantily clad she was she searched through the pile of clothes and picked the first thing her hands touched as tears continued to stream down her face. She pulled on the pale blue dress she had plucked from the pile and swung a robe over her shoulders, pulling her wings against her back.

She marched out the door with Hellboy and Myers in fast pursuit as she went with heavy determination towards a destination neither of them knew. But as she walked through the corridors ignoring Myers questions Hellboy began to understand where she was headed.

The corridor, which would lead to the main entrance and exit, the tall room which Myers had first entered from. Where the elevator was.

Fifty yards from the entrance she was in sight of the guards who would normally stand at the doorway without much to really lookout for but at the sight of her now gripped their rifles to their chests wondering if they would really have to engage her.

"Angela?" Myers said with a worried and warning tone in his voice, "Angela what are you doing, you know you cant leave." He said.

But she paid him no mind and the expression on her face became more and more that of a person who was not going to be deterred from her task.

Myers took hold of her elbow and spun her around. "STOP. What are you doing aren't you listening to me."

"I have listened to all of you for long enough, my child is dying and if you try to stop me from reaching her I swear there is no place in hell worse than where I will send you." she said before wrenching her arm free of his grasp and continuing forward.

Hellboy remembered his fathers words about Manning's men and he readied himself for a battle to protect Angela should it come to that.

The guard to the right lifted a walky talky from his shoulder and said something in it just as Angela reached the door to the corridor.

"Mama, I can't let you go in there." Said the guard as he stood in front of her.

"I need to leave, now would you be so kind as to move aside." She said without removing her gaze from his eyes.

"Im sorry mama I ca…"

"MOVE NOW!" she screamed with rage as the robe flew from her shoulder and her wings stretched out. A wind kicked up that was so powerful the guards were thrown through the doorway and fell twenty feet from it before landing with a thud. The guard to the right lost his rifle, which spun out of his hand.

Angela grabbed her robe and kicked off the ground, flying up the huge room.

One of the guards fumbled to get to his feet and took aim at her with his rifle. Hellboy snatched it from his hand and smashed it between his fingers.

"Sorry about that but I don't feel comfortable when you aim that at her." he growled at the guard, who backed away with fear.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" yelled manning as he showed up with a dozen agents at his rear.

"Open this door Manning." Angela said as she flew.

"I can't do that." he responded.

"Hey, uh, she's pretty pissed I think you should try not being a such dick for a few minutes." Said Hellboy.

Manning gave him a nasty look.

"Hay you might like it, Im just sayin." Hellboy said.

"We had an agreement, I cant let you out of here, you know why, its to much of a risk."

At his words Angela became furious and swooped down with incredible speed and scooped him up. She flew as high as she could and stopped with Manning in her arms.

"I don't think you understand me, my CHILD is dying, and if you don't open these doors bigger things will happen here than just you and me." She spat.

"She isn't a child anymore, she is an old woman at the end of her life." The moment these words came out of his mouth Manning knew he shouldn't have said them as an expression of fury came over Angela.

"Wrong answer." She said as she dropped him and he plummeted towards the ground.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, my computer keeps beeping at me when I try to start it up and I don't know why. It seems to not like the beeping because it doesn't start up whenever ti beeps. Does anyone know why it might be doing this?

If my computer works the next chapter will be up tomorrow night,


	12. Gabrielle

Hellboy gasped as he watched Manning fall.

Angela swooped down and grabbed the back of his jacket just before he hit the ground. The jacket ripped and Manning hit the floor with a thud. She let the jacket fall and headed for the switch that opened the doorway atop the elevator.

Manning knew that if she got to the top floor lobby they would never catch her.

"FIRE!" he yelled to his men.

"NO!" Hellboy managed to wrench three of the agents free of their guns as they all took aim. He watched in horror as the other nine fired and his eyes turned to Angela's face.

A white light then appeared Hellboy and the rest of the team had to turn away as the light grew and a wind rushed over them.

A moment passed and the light subsided Hellboy looked up to see an angel flying in front of Angela. His hands were extended and in them he held the most beautiful sword he had ever seen. He and the other Agents including Manning seemed awe stricken in the presence of such a creature. Something in the air seemed to whisper his power and grace. His features were handsome, and his shoulder length hair was a sandy brown. The billowing white long sleeved shirt and pants he wore accented his muscular physique, as he flew with a determined expression across his face. There was a circle of light, which seemed to come from him that lit the room in a luminous soft light and Hellboy knew had he not appeared Angela would most certainly be dead.

His expression was stern and Hellboy thought he saw anger in the mans face. He turned to Angela who said something to him and he nodded in response as the two drifted down to the ground. The angel always keeping a watchful eye on the gunmen.

"fhjeidca dalaks asdliao akdjfna aldkfjha asdklfjahsuifh." He said as he landed and turned to Angela.

Angela responded in the unknown dialect and she pointed as Hellboy. The angel looked him up and down and after a brief look of surprise he smiled back at her.

"I understand." He said in English.

"Thank you for coming, I need you help." Angela said to him.

He embraced her tenderly and kissed her on the cheek. A frown appeared on Hellboy's face. He could see in the way they interacted that there was history with him. Romantic history. And he didn't like it at all.

"So it would seem," he said in an accusatory tone as he looked at Manning.

Angela turned to Manning, her expression of resolve unchanged.

"If you take one more step towards that door I will order them to fire." He said.

Hellboy looked on as Angela and Manning stared each other down.

"I am going to leave, regardless of your attempts to stop me." She said with anger in her voice. "I can't believe you wouldn't release me for this ONE thing I ask. I am never coming back, you have proven to me once and for all that even with all your claims of good intent you are no better than the evil you fight." She said.

"Get ready to fire!" yelled Manning ignoring her words.

"NO!" yelled Hellboy as he stepped in the path of their guns.

Angela shook her head, after all they had put her through, after everything they had done to her she was certain…surely they would not deny her this. But it was not to be.

"Don't you dare fire at her." Hellboy bellowed. "I can't believe you would do this. Her daughter is dying."

"The fate of the world is at stake, I can't take any chances." Responded Manning.

"What kind of world would we be saving if we act like this? She's right. This is not a way to treat eachother." responded Hellboy.

"I am not saying its right, just necessary."

"You are so damned hung up on this that you would prefer to shoot her now and get it over with than search for another solution wouldn't you Manning!" Hellboy's words were meant as a cut, he was so worked up and frustrated that the next thing Manning said shocked both Hellboy and Manning.

"YES, that's what I wanted to do all along!!!" he roared.

The room became silent, and Hellboy turned to Angela who was stunned. She never thought…. she covered her hand over her mouth and turned away from them all as a tear came down her face.

Hellboy moved through the crowd and stood behind her. He could feel her shaking and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around.

"Red." She said softly looking to him. "I have to get out of here." Her eyes told him she would not return, she couldn't live like this.

Hellboy hugged her and said something he never thought he would say. "Go, I don't know how you put up with it for this long." He said with a sorrow and anger that sturred through his body. He was loosing her.

"A friend of yours?" asked Hellboy as he looked at the angel who seemed too handsome for his liking.

"Gabriel, yes, a good friend."

"I wont be there to protect you." he said, Hugging her. Conflicting emotions filled him as he embraced her. He knew how important this was to her, but his heart feared for her safety.

"I will find you again." She said.

Hellboy picked her feet up off the ground and hugged her close to him so her chin rested on his shoulder. "Take care of your father, he needs your love you know." She whispered.

"I will."

Hellboy released her and she backed away from him towards Gabriel.

"Good bye." She said.

"What, no, no goodbye, you're staying here!" yelled Manning.

But before he could even finish his sentence a bright light filled the room and when it subsided they both were gone.

For a moment they were all silent, still unsure about what had happened.

One of the Agents dropped his gun and Manning seemed to suddenly snap out of his surprise.

"Ok, men lets go, you have three minutes to be ready to move out. I want a perimeter layout of her daughters house within twenty minutes." He yelled as the man around him took to their tasks, running about getting ready.

Manning turned to Hellboy after barking his orders. " And you," he snarled as he glanced at Hellboy with fury dripping from his words. "Your emotional attachment to her is going to get this world destroyed. you're the only one we have who can stop the monsters from destroying this world. What will you do Hellboy? When the monster is her. Now saddle up, you're going out to kill samaielle…again" he said as he went off to get ready.


	13. visiting Katherine

Angela flew through the air, over the skyscrapers, With Gabrielle by her side. It had been so many years since she had seen him, and the last time she had seen him was the day he had led her down to hell.

He had been there through every step of her angel history. He had been the first angel she had ever known and the one she had turned to when she could not find her husband among the spirits in heaven.

In a way she felt she had been unfair to him. Their relationship had grown into something more than admiration or friendship some years after she had become an angel and though at the time she had found comfort in the presence of another. She had always felt no attachment beyond friendship for him. Even when he had more feeling for her than she had for him.

So now flying with him was something both familiar and foreign to her. She was filled with thoughts of her daughter and of how sick she must be. But for some reason Hellboy was always in the back of her mind, just lingering there.

"We are almost there." She heard from him.

"It must be nice being back in the world again Angela." He said again when she did not respond.

Truthfully it was the most wonderful feeling, like a weight from her shoulders as she flew through the open clean crisp air once more. But her thoughts of Katherine overwhelmed her joy as she went.

Landing on the roof of the hospital Angela took a deep breath, as she knew was to come. Gabrielle took her by the hand and she closed her eyes, opening them once more to find herself in a hospital ward.

Down the room there lay ten beds, five on each side of the white walled room, each with instruments and monitors attached and beeping to the rhythm of the patients they monitored.

Angela didn't need to be told which bed held her daughter. She knew, and as she approached the bed a feeling of peace befell her. Beside the bed a man was curled in a chair, his sweater tucked up under his neck for support. His face showed his age and his frail body looked as though they had seen many years of both joy and sorrow. His arm was outstretched and his hand grasped Katherine's. He spoke softly as his tired eyes looked on to a book of poetry which he held in his other hand, reading aloud to the elderly woman who lay sleeping in her bed.

Angela knew he could not see her, as she stood next to her daughter's bed. She placed a hand on Katharine's head, stroking her white hair.

"She is close." Angela softly said to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle came up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"She is ready." She said. "I can feel it. Her soul is ready to die." tears rolled down her face. She looked over at the man, his elderly eyes softly reciting words of love from his book.

"Who do you weep for?" asked Gabrielle. "You know death is only a passageway, a mere fork in the path of existence, she has lived all the life she will live and now, she takes a different road, a road home." He said.

"I don't weep for her, or even for this man who will not understand as we do, but I weep selfishly for myself." She said as she placed a hand on her daughter's hand. "For the life I missed, her life, which I never got to see." She said.

"There is no shame in this, all who cry for the dead, cry for their own hearts, the dead are at last at peace like they could never know in life, it is the ones who remain who suffer." Said another voice.

Both Gabrielle and Angela turned to see another angel, a woman with dark skin and dark hair.

"Isabelle." Greeted Angela.

"Don't fear Angela, remember when my son died, I knew you would be here, after hearing about you returning from Hell. I knew you would be with her when I came."

"You are going to take her soul to heaven." Said Angela.

"Yes." She responded. "Don't worry, I will protect and care for her as Gabrielle did for my son when he was taken."

A small smile came over her face. Isabelle was a good friend, the kind of Angel who knew compassion beyond that of any other.

"We must go." Said Gabrielle. "They are here," he said taking Angela's hand.

"Wait." She said pulling away before he could take them both out of the hospital.

Professor Broom came into the room and the elderly man looked up from his reading.

It was strange as Angela stared straight at him knowing he couldn't see her.

"i am sorry to disturb you sir." He said as he glanced around the room.

Angela walked towards the door and heard the familiar voices of Agent Manning and Myers.

"We must go!" said Gabrielle.

"A moment is all I ask." She said, walking out the door.

In the corner at the end of the hall, there he was, Hellboy. A hood over his face, She never would have though he would walk out in public like this, but there he was. Looking as uncomfortable as he ever was.

Angela walked up closer to him until she was right in front of him, his cloak draped over his body. She reached out her hand and stroked his face. He did not respond.

"I don't know how your doing this but I suggest you beat it kid, Manning is in a hell of a mood, and I aint looking forward to stepping in front of another bullet for ya." He said without looking down at her.

A surprised look came over her face. He could see her.

Gabrielle came up behind her grabbing her arms. "we have to go!"

"Hay Birdie."

Angela turned to him.

Hellboy winked at her.

She smiled at him as she and Gabrielle disappeared.


	14. the hunt begins

Hellboy understood that Angela and Gabrielle were both angels, both creatures of the same breed who understood eachother. He even looked as though he belonged with her as he left with her. Gabrielle would protect her. But deep down in the pit of his stomach something told Hellboy he needed to be with her. Not just to protect her, but for something else. Something deeper. Something beyond what he could see on the outside.

"God Dimmitt." He heard Manning exclaim as they walked down the hallway towards him.

A small smile crept up to his face as his father and Manning exchanged glances.

"We are in a hospital, refrain yourself." Said Broom.

"This is no time for propriety." Yelled Manning. "She is out there with no protection, with no prevention for Rasputin. We might as well leave a sign out for him telling him to strike." He said as he approached Hellboy.

"You know this is all your fault." He said pointing to Hellboy. "You have killed her, and us all."

"I am not the one who made her out to be some king of science experiment." Yelled Hellboy.

Nurses and doctors alike began to gather as Hellboy raised his gruff and deep voice.

He looked around, suddenly not feeling very comfortable.

He paid no mind to Manning as he began to say something else. Instead Hellboy walked away, sending Manning into even more of a rage at his ignoring everything Manning was saying.

"Come on,' Broom said as he placed a hand on Manning's back. "There is nothing more we can do tonight."

Manning remained silent as they walked down the halls. Broom could tell he was not going to gracefully accept this kind of defeat however he also knew that despite Manning's recent stubbornness and cruelty he was not a man without morals or compassion. He just had to know when to show it and when to remain the responsible party.

By the time they had all reached the final door of the hospital and walked out into the cold streets Hellboy was ready to begin searching for Angela again. He had a trick up his sleeve that the others didn't, he just had to wait for the right opportunity to use it.

"Alright, moving on. Hellboy get your team together, your heading out. Samaielle awaits." He said.

Myers and Hellboy both looked up and sighed. This was going to be a long night.

Across town atop a bridge, the two angelic creatures crouched with open wings. Letting the breeze flow over her Angela looked at Gabrielle, the man she hadn't seen in many years.

"How is everyone, Michael, Lillie, Estel."

"They are as usual, nothing has changed really in our routine." He said. Bit she could tell he was holding something back.

"And?" she asked.

"And…..nothing." he said.

His blonde hair flew about him and though she had been away for a long time she knew him well enough to know when he was lying.

"Your not telling me something…what is it?"

He hesitated and finally spoke. "mind if I tell you later." He said.

Angela sighed and nodded, feeling relieved that his normally stubborn personality would tell him at all.

"come on, lets get some air under our wings." He said with a smile.

A great joy came over her as she took to flight. The ground lifting away and the city lights gleamed beneath them.

It was freedom, pure and un-caged freedom as she felt the wind in her hair. Her troubles melted away and thoughts of Rasputin and Manning were left behind as the starry sky embraced her.

They flew together for an hour, and Angela could see in Gabrielles eyes that his feelings for her had not changed. She knew his moods, his movements, his expressions. But he didn't know how she had changed. She wondered if his feelings would remain the same if he knew the things she had done to survive over the last three decades. Would his impression of her sweetness remain the same?

The night wore on and soon Angela and Gabrielle found themselves tired and searching for a place to rest. They did so upon a tall sky scraper at least a hundred stories from the ground.

"so tell me, what is that you were so afraid to tell me."

Gabrielle turned serious as he looked away, thinking for a way to tell her.

"New angelic law was put into place after you were condemned. All immortal beings that kill a mortal will be sentenced immediately and… permanently." He said. "That means….your sentence…."

Sadness overcame her as she began to realize what he was saying. "My soul will return to hell when I die." She said, knowing the horrible truth.

"You have to understand, you were never intended to be released. Rasputin has taken advantage of a situation never before done. Only I and a very few other high-ranking creatures of light know you have even been released. I mean, can you imagine the chaos if it got out. You would become the most hunted woman in history." He said. He looked at her and saw something in her eyes. Terror mixed with disbelief.

She had been through so much, so many years of horror. So much pain. Being hunted every moment. Fighting for much more than yourself, but your sanity. To much pain, to much war and death. She couldn't go back. "Why am I not dead already? Why weren't you ordered to kill me, I am condemned already, what would be the difference." She said through her emotions. "Why haven't the angels who do know killed me?"

"I was ordered to bring you back to hell, we don't have to kill you, you know that."

"Yes, of course, you have the power to just send me to hell." She said. "So why havent you?"

A brief moment of happiness had overcome her the moment she had realized she was back on earth. And now it would be only that. A moment. Because after her life she would return to that life of unimaginable torture.

"because…" he said softly peering at her.

Gabrielle draped a wing over her and drew her closer, trying to comfort her. His grasp was warm and tender. Just as it had been when she had known him before. His eyes. Pierced her heart. And she knew he felt what she was feeling. But in a strange new way that she had never felt before now, his familiarity with her was unpleasant and her thoughts turned unexpectedly to Hellboy.

"because…you know why." He said as he leaned in to kiss her.

"i..im sorry Gabrielle."

"Angela…." Yelled Gabrielle as she flew off. "Angela wait."

"don't follow me…" she yelled back to him.

Angela flew at a rapid, almost frantic pace. She fought the tears. She had cried for so long, how could she have enough tears for more. How could she cry any more than she already had.

Where would she go. She clutched her robe in her hand and squeezed it hard.

She had no where to go. She knew no one and had a madman hunting her. Hellboy. She thought. How she wished she could find him.

Flying away from the sky scrapers she reached the open ocean where she knew she would find no shelter. Clouds entered her view and she flew higher to avoid them. Would it rain? How fitting if it did. Freezing rain.

She flew for a longer period than even she knew but finally found a site that was familiar. A small church, by the ocean. Just to the edge of the city. Its elaborite décor and stone statues of angels brought her a small amount of comfort. She flew softly down and landed on the roof just as the sky opened up and the rain did in deed begin to pour un mercifully.

One thought filled her head. She couldn't go back….she would not survive it again.

"DAMN." Hellboy exclaimed as he brushed himself off over the body of the final Samaielle. "They don't ever die." He said, with relief that the final creature was dust.

"Red, Red do you copy." Said Myers over the com system.

"Yeah, Myers I hear ya. How are ya? Is everyone still in one piece?" he said as he sat on a park bench and checked the barrel of his gun.

"Yes, everyone is fine, where are you?"

"No place im telling you about." He said as he took from his pocket a small black electronic device. A smile crept across his face as he puffed on his cigar.

"come on Red, please don't run off again." He seemed to plead. "every time you do this I get in trouble, I am supposed to go with you."

"yeah, well im sick of baby sitters, go find a girl Myers, your young, not to gross when you look closely, stop pestring me all the time." He said as he reholstered his gun

"Come on Red, Manning is going to start a search for Angela in an hour, you know how angry he will be if your not there." He paused, gathering his frustration over Reds stubbornness. "Red you have to check back in,,,,"

"Hay…Myers…. again, go get a girl, a life, cause I got stuff to do." Hellboy said as he clicked off his locator and pulled the com from his ear.

Another half-hour passed and Angela lay awake in the attic of the church listening to the rain. She had found a small nook in the attic just large enough for her and she felt quite cozy. The only thing missing was another blanket. She had her robe, which kept her warm enough, but one more would make her quite comfortable.

The floor beneath her creaked and she sat up with worry.

I can't go back. She thought.

How see missed her warm bed, for a moment she thought the treatment at the BPRD wasn't so bad as long as she could have her bed back…. And Red.

She shot up to her feet and out of her thought as a noise above her, like something had hit the roof sounded. It moved along the roof and over to the open window.

"Oh….shit." she whispered to herself as she breathed heavily and franticly looked around for a weapon of some kind. This was all to familiar, all to real, like she was back there, back in that place with no escape.

The noise stopped and after a moment she took a step towards the window. Whatever it was, it was at the window. Was it waiting for her?

She took another hesitant step towards the window. Her heart raced and her breathing got heavier, her hands shook as she reached out to grasp the sill.

Loosing her nerve she turned around to find another exit.

Suddenly a figure shadowed in darkness loomed in front of her, its cold fingers grasping at her.

She screamed and turned to get away but it held her there. She could feel its breath upon her face and a voice, a dark, menacing voice. A roar came to her ears and she could tell it was not from her aggressor.

She screamed again and held her hands out. Swinging at her attacker. Only to find air. And dark smoke which dissipated.

She turned franticly to get away, screaming. She ran into another dark figure shadowed and cold. Its arms reached for her. Grasping at her with its cold hands.

She fell to the floor trying to get away. Her hand met with a wooden mop she had not noticed before and she swung it at her assailant.

She hit it and it fell to the floor. "oww. Easy Birdie. Its me." She heard from a deep, husky voice that was all to familiar to her. He got to his knees and rubbed his head.

"Red….?" She said as she gasped for breath and clung to the mop.

"Yeah." He said as he began to stand.

"Red…" she said as she threw the Mop down and ran to him, hugging him with a kind of desperation she would never have expected she could produce.

"Its alright Birdie…its gone, your fine." Said Red as he embraced her.

Hellboy was dripping wet from head to toe in water that felt more like it had come from a refrigerator than the sky.

Angela released him long enough to finally look him in the face and saw how soaked he was.

"Here." She said as she pulled off his jacket and slung it to the floor. "Your soaked. And…OH RED!" she placed a tender hand on his head where blood seeped from a deep cut. "Your hurt."

She leaned back and looked him over, the light was dim but she could make out that his shirt was shredded, and a variety of both small and large gashes covered his shoulders and arms.

"Red, we have to get these looked at." She said. As she rubbed his shoulders, warming them up.

Hellboy wasn't saying anything as she looked him over. In truth he was just so happy to see her and the rest just seemed an after thought. He knew she was more than grateful to see him. She hadn't asked how or even why he had found her. But none of this mattered to him at the moment.

He had crept in, and found her being attacked by this,,,,thing…creature. She was about to lead him down stairs when he took her in his arms. Resting his head on her chest. It had scared him, the scene he had just witnessed. And danger felt closer than it ever had before.

She didn't ask why he held her to warmly, so urgently. She didn't need to , there was no question in her mind in regards to it. It simply was without label or definition.

For a moment they held eachother this way locked in an embrace of friendship and undefined mutual emotion.

"I cant believe they have all this stuff back here." Yelled Angela as she came into the chapel once more with a box.

"what did you find now." Asked Hellboy as he sat on a bench. The last fifteen minutes had revealed that below the attic, the church appeared to be abandoned. It had some of the most unexpected things in some of the closets.

"this has just what we need." She said as she brought it over to him and knelt beside him. She took out some whit sheets and began shredding them to make bandages.

"you don't have to do that." He said. "I will be fine."

She ignored him.

Taking his arm she began to wrap it. "so how did this happen." She asked softly.

"the usual, some monster makin a racket and its my job to stop him." He said.

"and this?" she said as she examined the bump on his head, knowing it was from the mop she had hit him with.

"ahh, well that's the usual as well, my other job is scaring mop wielding women." He said.

"And do they usually crack your skull?" she said with a smile as she placed a warm rag on another cut on his head.

"Only it I am lucky." He responded.

"Mind if I take a look at the ones on your chest?" she asked.

" let me." He said removing the remnants of his shirt.

The room was silent except for the sounds of the rain outside and the wind, which howled through cracked wood.

Angela looked at Hellboys torso with the thorough eyes of a surgion. She placed her hand on his side and he flinched a little.

"is it tender?" she asked.

"yes." He said.

"I think your rib is broken." She said.

"they seem to like doing that." He said.

"I cant leave it like this, it could puncture your lung." She said. "lay down."

Hellboy did as she asked.

"hold still." She said as she placed her two hands over the injury. "this wont hurt."

Hellboy had to look over to realize that something had started to happen. A light emitted from her hands and a warm sensation began to fill his body. A feeling of clarity overcame him, as the bones seemed to know where to go. The warm sensation overtook his whole body, through his arms and hands and fingers, down through his torso, and legs and toes. He breathed in and for the first time he could feel the capolaries feeding his body the oxygen. Everything was lit in a dim, glow as the light surrrounded him and as he looked down at Angela he could see she two had the light in her, only it wasn't swerling through her as with him, but was coming from her. Flowing into him. He breathed in again and could not only feel every sensation in his body but could feel hers aswell, could feel the air flowing through her lungs. He could feel the warmth subsiding, receding back into her hands and finally into her body. As it did he could see sweat form on her brow and her expression became more concentrated. The connection with her body was the first thing to go, then slowly he could no longer feel his own skin that way, and the light seemed to change in hue. It became harsh, not brighter but harsher. It stopped flowing through him and he could feel it was flowing from him. He looked at her closely and could see it was flowing from his body through the injured area and into her body. She gritted her teeth and took a breath in as though it were difficult to do. A moan of pain escaped her and Hellboy placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel something flowing through her. Her body was rigid with its energy. Like electricity it began to subside and her body relaxed. The pain retreated from her and she exhaled with exhaustion.

He felt energized, filled with health and vitality like he had never felt before. "How did you do that?" he asked with amazement at the results.

"I…i told you I could heal injury…" she said with exhaustion.

Hellboy could see it had taken a lot out of her and she leaned on the bench for support.

"are you alrigh.."

But before he finished a bolt of lightning cracked in the sky above them and she jumped violently with fear.

Hellboy grasped her hands and held them. "Hay….hay…its alright." He said taking her by the shoulders. "Are you ok?"

"Y-yes, i…I just,"

"Yes. What is it."

"I am going back to hell." She said.

"What."

"I will never see heaven again, when I die, my soul will return to Hell." She said as she finally succumbed to the despair as every fear she had was coming into reality.

"No." he said as he hugged her. "No, it wont," he said.

"This is something neither of us can stop." She said.

"Don't say that." He said in his deep, beautiful voice. He placed his hands on her face. Feeling the curves of her cheeks, the softness of her hair.

"Not all things are possible." She said with defeat in her voice.

He closed the remaining gap between them, embracing her. He vowed to himself he would prove her wrong. How was this justice, She was the most caring, tender woman he had ever know. She was bright, funny, beautiful. She was not deserving of such a fate.

"I hope I live a long time, long enough to one day forget my fate." She said "and just be happy."

"You will, and that I CAN promise with all certainty. I promise to at least make that much happen for you." He said.

She could feel his hands on her back and she understood how much he cared for her. He would always be there for her and it brought her comfort in a way that was unexpected to her.

"can you stay with me?" she asked. "in the church."

"of course." He said. But in his mind he thought how wonderful it would be to stay forever, not just one night but all the nights to come.

Sorry for being late to update, my computer is really being stupid. I also appologize for the format of the chapter. I don't know if it stayed the way it is when I was typing it but when I was typing I couldn't get it off the made where it has dotd inbetween the words instead of actual spaces.

Anyhow. I know the last several chapters have been kind of crapy but hopefully the story line has remained intact. I promise my writing will improve in the future. After I get my computer fixed.


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